146 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



pine, white pine, tamarack, cedar, chestnut, hackberry, basswood, 

 ash, box elder, hardy catalpa, ehn, white willow, black walnut, 

 Osage orange, and coffee tree. The white pine, Scotch pine, tulip 

 tree, elm, Norway spruce, sugar maple, red maple, white oak, red 

 oak, ash, white birch, chestnut, shagbark hickory, and beech are 

 about the best for Arbor Day purposes. 



Trees are being cut down faster than they are replaced. The 

 fall webworm and other insects are doing great damage, and in 

 a few years many of our forest trees will disappear if we do not 

 protect them, restore the birds and destroy the insects. We may 

 help to do so by killing off the English sparrow and by taking 

 special precautions against the insects. This also applies to our 

 shade trees. Fire is a great enemy of the forest, but it can be 

 partly prevented by piling up the brush, by thinning growths of 

 trees, and by clearing trees from the vicinity of railroads. When 

 the trees are cut down a sufficient number of trees should be 

 planted to replace them. But in the first place the trees that are 

 growing should be preserved if possible. 



In the Proceedings of the Staten Island Association of 

 Arts and Sciences, Vol. I, page 107, it reads that a committee 

 was appointed to report on the subject of destruction of our 

 native vegetation and to suggest any measures to preserve the 

 plants. So far, nothing further has been done. If no more in- 

 terest is taken to preserve the little patches left, the woods of 

 Staten Island are doomed to destruction. Extensive cutting of 

 our forest trees has been going on recently on Staten Island ; for 

 example, along Bradley Avenue, South Avenue, Darcey's woods, 

 New Springville, and Richmond. If this destruction be allowed 

 to go on, the beauty of our Island will be destroyed and it will be 

 a much less desirable place for living. Much can be done to pre- 

 serve street and forest trees by appointing watchmen to guard 

 against fires and in every way preserving the trees we have. One 

 of the precautions that could be taken would be to have the elec- 

 tric power for cars underground instead of overhead. 



We have no large parks on Staten Island, but we ought to have 



