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PARK AND CEMETERY. 
EDUCATING THE PEOPLE TO CARE FOR THE TREES 
The work of interesting the public in 
the value and importance of caring for the 
street trees is becoming more and more 
universally recognized. Progressive cities 
everywhere are adopting the idea of mu- 
nicipal shade tree control. In New Jersey 
alone the state law, in co-oporeation with 
municipal ordinance, has created fifty mu- 
nicipal shade tree commissions; and New- 
ark may, in all modesty, congratulate itself 
that nowhere in the state or nation is a 
more effective work being done for the 
beautification of a city by means of trees. 
The work in Newark has been unusually 
successful because the aid of the public 
has been enlisted by some very effective 
educative and publicity work by the shade- 
tree commission. The commission not only 
issues a handsomely illustrated annual re- 
port filled with a vast amount of useful 
information on trees, which has been re- 
ferred to in these pages as a model of its 
kind, but distributes a special brochure on 
the observance of Arbor Day, and a series 
of folders that set forth in plan language 
and even plainer illustrations the cause of 
the trees. 
One of these is entitled “The Twelve 
Good Points of a Tree.” Everyone of the 
points is illustrated by a striking picture, 
and after a brief introductory talk the 
twelve points are enumerated as follows : 
1. Is the opening around your tree of standard 
size? (What is the actual size?) 
2. Is the ground in this opening well loosened to 
admit air and water? 
3. If the tree Is surrounded by grass, is the sod 
open around the trunk ? 
i. Does the tree get a good proportion of the 
rain which falls on the sidewalk, or does it run 
over the curb into the gutter? 
5. Is the tree protected with a tree-guard? 
Guard must be six feet high and not too tight. 
Tree must be protected from chafing by guard. 
6. Is the tree free from Borers? Borers can be 
detected by sawdust coming out of holes in the 
trunk. Watch for the Borers from April to No- 
vembef. 
SPECIFICATIONS FOR SELECTING A 
TREE, PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN AS- 
SOCIATION FOR PLANTING AND PRES- 
ERVATION OF STREET TREES. 
7. Are the trunk and the branches cleared of all 
cocoons, egg-masses, larvae, caterpillars, beetles, 
scale? 
8. (a) Is the head free from all dead wood, has 
it been pruned by an expert, aud how do you know 
he is an expert? Find out how a tree should be 
pruned. Are all the cuts painted? (b) Does the 
tree stand perpendicular and is its present place 
intended to be its permanent home? 
9. Have the scars from horse bites or other in- 
juries been cleaned out and painted to prevent har- 
boring insects and to stop decay? If there are 
large cavities these should be filled with cement. 
10. Does the tree remain green aud ' in full leaf 
to the middle of October? 
11. Have you put as much nourishment into the 
soil as the tree needs for the year? Give it a 
treat; dig in wood ashes, ground bone or well-rotted 
manure. 
12. Are any wires interfering with your tree 
either by swaying or by electric current? Are 
there any gas leaks? If so, write to the Shade 
Tree Office, City Hall. 
Here are the twelve points of a good street tree. 
The total percentage if below par reflects on the 
man, not on the tree. The tree always does its 
best. Man forgets that he has taken it out of 
the God-made forest where it could and did care 
for itself, and has placed it in a man-made city 
where it is dependent on man’s oare for thrifty 
growth. 
Another folder is designed to teach con- 
tractors and builders the importance of 
preventing injury to trees by building op- 
erations. It illustrates the type of guard 
that should be placed about trees during 
building operations, and quotes the law on 
the protection of trees, as follows : 
Gentlemen: — We invite your attention to certain 
provisions ordained by the City for the protection 
of street trees from injury arising from 1 or by rea- 
son of building, paving, plumbing and similar works, 
of construction and repair. 
The practice of piling or placing material against 
trees, or on, or in the open spaces around them is 
very detrimental. Also, it is a violation of Section 
6 of “An Ordinance relating to the Protection, 
( Concluded on page VIII . ) 
