219 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
MUNICIPAL CONTROL OF PLANTING AND CARE OF SHADE TREES 
Read by William Solotaroff^ Secretary Shade Tree Conivtissioriy 
Orange N. y., before American Society of Municipal ImprovemeJits 
There are two ways by which the work of planting and 
caring for shade trees can be accomplished. The work 
must be done either by individual land owners or public 
officials. The prevailing policy of most of our cities has 
been to leave this task to the individuals who own the 
property. This 'plan has been very unsatisfactory. 
The idea of placing shade trees under the control of an 
organized body is not new and the results accomplished 
in cities by such provision have been so satisfactory that 
it seems surprising the system of municipal control is not 
becoming more general. All the trees in Washington are 
cared for by the city and all planting is done by city authori- 
ties. The new charter of Greater New York placed the shade 
trees under the care of the park department. The work done 
by that department, especially in the boroughs of Brooklyn 
and Queens, has improved the condition of the trees very 
materially. The Jurisdiction of the park department of New 
York extends only to the existing trees and there are certain 
ordinances governing the setting out of trees by individuals. 
It has not the power, however, of initiative in setting out new 
trees, either by a general appropriation or putting a lien on 
property the same as for any other improvement. The best 
solution, by far, of the problems of the planting and care 
of shade trees is provided by a law of the state of New Jer- 
sey, as far as we know, the only state law of its kind. 
An act of the laws of 1893 of the state of New Jersey pro- 
vides for the establishing of commissiones to take charge of the 
planting and care of shade trees on the highways of the mu- 
nicipalities of the state. These commissions are to be com- 
posed of three members, appointed for terms of three, four 
and five years, and are to serve without pay. It is optional 
with the governing body of any city whether this act shall 
have effect there. Newark, Passiac, East Orange and South 
Orange are among the places that have availed themselves of 
the privileges of this act. All matters pertaining to shade 
trees in' these places have been placed in the hands of the 
respective ‘ commissions. All work is carried on in a sys- 
tematic way, and all trees are planted, pruned, sprayed and 
removed under the commissioners’ direction. As practically 
operated, the commissioners serve as an organization' and they 
employ a professional man, who has full charge of the ex- 
ecutive work. Wherein these commissions differ from other 
similar bodies is that they have the power of initiative in 
the matter of planting. They decide that a certain street is 
to be planted and determine on the species of tree. An ad- 
vertisement of the intention to plant is inserted for two weeks 
in the public newspapers. After the work is done the com- 
missioners meet and certify a list to the receiver of taxes on 
the annual tax bill and it is paid the same as any other legal 
lien. The cost of pruning, spraying, removing dead trees and 
repairing old ones is met by a general appropriation. 
A brief review of the work done in East Orange, N. J., 
during the two and a half years that the Shade Tree Com- 
mission has been in organization will give an idea what has 
been done in all the cities of the state where the tree com- 
missions have been established. About 1,300 trees were 
planted. The species chosen were the Norway maple, the 
sugar maple, the European linden, the American linden, the 
pin oak and the Oriental plane. Only one species of tree 
was planted on a street. These were set out at uniform dis- 
tances apart and all trees were supplied with uniform wire 
guards. The advantages of such a system of planting cari be 
readily seen. By selecting the proper species of tree for 
street use, hardy trees are taken of symmetrical habit, of 
well filled head, neither too open nor too compact. By plac- 
, ing the trees at proper distances apart, each tree is allowed 
to develop its characteristic beauty, and when mature there 
is sufficient space between the outstretching limbs for the 
admission of light and the free circulation of air, so essential 
to health and comfort. Streets that have become famous for 
their beautiful shade trees, both in this country and abroad, 
are planted with one species of tree. 
There are sixty-seven miles of streets in East Orange. 
The trees on about twenty-eight miles of these streets were 
pruned under the direction of the Shade Tree Commission. 
In this work, too, the street was treated as a unit. All trees 
were pruned to a uniform height, a height that would permit 
the unimpeded passage of vehicles and would allow all street 
lights to be seen at night. All scars were painted with coal 
tar to help in the healing of the wounds. 
By far the most important work done by the Shade Tree 
Commission of East Orange was the successful combatting of 
the insect pests, among which were the tussock moth attack- 
ing the American elm, the horse-chestnut, the white maple 
and the lindens ; the cottony maple scale attacking the white 
maple: the wooly maple scale attacking the sugar maple, and 
the elm leaf beetle attacking the elms. As far as was pos- 
sible the idea constantly borne in mind was to fight the in- 
sects before they developed, and hence before great damage 
was done. 
