102 Forest Club Annual 



The influence of trees in making people happier and 

 better has long been known. The saying "Show me your 

 town or city and I will tell you the kind and quality of your 

 citizens", was never more correct than it is today. Every 

 municipality of modern progressive tendencies possesses three 

 asse ts its industries, its commerce and its appearance. It 

 is a well known fact that the morals of a people are in direct 

 relation to their environment. Improve the appearance of 

 your city and you aid in the cultivation of local pride and 

 civic patriotism without which no city can make progress. 



SELECTION OF TREES FOR STREETS. 



In the selection of trees one of the most important con- 

 siderations is to choose those which can withstand the unfav- 

 orable conditions under which they are forced to grow. The 

 soil along most of our streets is so poor in quality that many 

 trees die of starvation. There may be plenty of soil but the 

 removal of the leaves, the leaching of the soil by continual 

 rains and the filling in of soil along the streets where grading 

 is taking place often produces conditions under which it be- 

 comes impossible for trees to secure sufficient nourishment 

 and consequently they become sickly and soon die. The pale 

 green or yellow foliage, the presence of many dead branches 

 and the slender drooping crown are all evidences of improper 



food conditions. 



i 



Lack of ventilation and good drainage are frequent causes 

 of the death of trees. Too much water causes trees to suffer 

 as much as from drouth since surface roots are developed 

 which are sure to die during the drouth which usually follows. 

 A wet soil does not admit the circulation of air, which is nec- 

 essary to good growth. The free circulation of air is also 

 prevented by filling in around the roots and by packing and 

 tramping the surface soil. Pavements prevent evaporation of 

 water from the surface and also prevent water from reaching 

 the soil. In time of drouth it is often of advantage to the 

 tree to have evaporation from the surface of the ground less- 

 ened since trees which would otherwise suffer from lack of 

 moisture may then have an amount sufficient for continued 

 growth. 



Street trees which are unprotected from cold winter 

 winds which sweep down the streets often suffer from deformi- 



