CARE OF STREET TREES. 



Roland D. Craig, F.E., Dominion forestry Branch. 



'T^HE attractiveness of a town or city depends very largely 

 ^ upon the trees planted along its streets. They are among the 

 first things which a stranger notices in formulating his impres- 

 sions as to whether it is a, good place to live in or not. One does 

 not need to be a lover of nature to appreciate the refreshing* shade 

 of a row of trees along the sidewalk on a hot summer day, or the 

 protection afforded from the cold winds in winter. What a re- 

 lief and rest the weary eyes find ini the verdure of a plantation 

 of trees after the glaring pavements and shining windows of a 

 bare street. Trees, by transpiring through their leaves large 

 quantities of moisture and by the coolness of their own bodies, 

 exert an important influence in reducing the temperature in sum- 

 mer. They also exert a beneficial influence by absorbing pois- 

 onous carbonic acid gas from the air, and giving in return pure 

 oxygen for the use of man. 



Though one of the most important factors in making the life 

 of urban populations healthy and happy, the trees of our streets, as 

 a rule receive very little consideration on the part of municipal 

 authorities. In many cases the planting and care of the trees is 

 left to the individual citizens, in front of vvhose propert}' the 

 streets run, and in few places are men trained in tree culture 

 employed to look after this important work, and for this reason 

 many well meant efforts result in failure. It is the object of the 

 writer to point out briefly a few of the mistakes commonly made 

 in the management of street trees, and to make some suggestions 

 which may be of use to those who are interested in this work. 



Lack 'of Uniformity. 

 The appearance of many of our streets is spoiled by a lack 

 of uniformity in planting, especially where it is left to the indivi- 

 dual property owners. One man plants elms, the next maples, 

 the next horse chestnuts and probably the next two nonej at all, so 

 that all order and harmony is lost and it results very frequently in 

 the slower-growing trees being suppressed by their neighbors 



