Planning for Street Trees. 



Suggestions for improving conditions in Canadian Towns and Cities. 



Mr. G. A. Croniie, who some years ago 

 was forest assistant in the Dominion For- 

 estry Branch work in British Columbia, and 

 who is now Superintendent of Trees, in the 

 Department of Public Parks, New Haven, 

 Connecticut, writes giving some hints on how 

 to go about improving shade tree conditions 

 in our towns and cities. While this is not 

 forest conservation in its strict sense, yet 

 good shade trees are so valuable an aid in 

 forming public opinion on this matter that 

 we have jileasnre in publishing Mr. Cromie 's 

 article. He says: 



On looking over the century-old elms and 

 maples in New Haven, Connecticut, of which 

 I have charge, I can see how much can be 

 aained in such fast growing cities as Yan- 



(lOO a year, smaller ones placing street trees 

 under the park commissioners, and towns 

 often getting expert advice for a starting 

 plan and doing the work under a local tree 

 warden working part of the year, or a com- 

 mercial nursery. Many of these were forced 

 to take such steps by the large number of 

 old trees that were dying and the poor re- 

 sults from private planting under modern 

 street conditions. Those get the best re- 

 sults in which all the work — planting, treat- 

 ment for insects, tree surgery, maintenance, 

 removal — is done by a city department; the 

 system of private work under permit or 

 supervision has not been a success. 



Here are some ways in which foresters 

 and other members of our Association can 





1 i;fe»P- 



-^3^. 



Plane Trees (European Sycamore) Planted one year. Set 35 feet apart. 



couver, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and in the 

 newer sections of Eastern cities, if they will 

 follow a systematic plan in street tree plant- 

 ing; and even towns or villages will secure 

 better shade trees where one person or de- 

 partment is responsible for their care instead 

 of leaving them to the general public. Many 

 members of the Canadian Forestry Associa- 

 tion have the necessary training, and can 

 give some time, at actual work of this char- 

 acter in the smaller places, or in larger 

 cities, to organize a movement to place the 

 street trees under a competent civic de- 

 partment. 



The eastern United States are fast falling 

 into line in this work, cities of 100,000 pop- 

 ulation er larger hiring an expert forester 

 and staff and spending from .$3,000 to $30,- 



help to start such a movement in their home 

 town : 



1. Choose a number of new streets and 

 induce the authorities — or by public sub- 

 scrijDtion raise the needed money — to plant 

 them uniformly with proper species. Ask 

 the best local paper to help you; they are 

 always glad to back any such movement that 

 takes with the people. The interest aroused 

 should help in extending the work. 



2. Gather the^ data needed for a good 

 planting plan; count the present trees on 

 each street, by species, using the card sys- 

 tem, with a note on their height or age 

 class and condition; note the number of new 

 trees needed on each street, locating them 

 l\y house number if necessary, and suggest 

 the knds to l)e used. In this way you can 



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