TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 
236 
specified modifications and deductions for defects of 
species, trunk, crown and other factors. Under Mr. Par¬ 
ker’s supervision 271 trees on Washington Street, in Hart¬ 
ford, of which 216 were more than one foot in diameter, 
were appraised at $37,500.00 or an average of $138.41 for 
each tree. 
(7) The Square-inch Basal Area Method. —In figuring 
the area of a trunk this method reduces the computation to 
square inches. It has been used by Mr. W. W. Colton, to 
estimate the value of the street trees of that suburban 
beauty spot, Newton, Massachusetts. Taking a maxi¬ 
mum of 75 cents for each square inch of basal area, Mr. 
Colton, as city forester of Newton, placed a valuation of 
$1,516,602 on 12,577 trees. This was an average of 
$120.50, and the figures were reached after deductions as 
indicated in Plan 6. 
Newark, New Jersey, has had an annual appraisal of 
its trees for 10 years. This appraisal is made by the City 
Shade Tree Commission, at the request of the City Audi¬ 
tor. The inventory carries a valuation of the shade trees 
upon the public thoroughfares and in the city parks; and 
the financial department of the city government, very 
properly, lists the total amount among the assets of the 
municipality. The Newark figures have been based 
largely on replacement value, which is manifestly inade¬ 
quate, as the trees could not be replaced with others of 
equal size at the valuation of $2,037,532.50 given for 
66,308 trees, an average of $30.72. 
As a concrete example of results to be attained through 
application of various plans of appraisal, the Newark trees 
might be estimated under four methods. Under the Roth 
plan, the trees would be given a valuation of $3,330,884, 
equivalent to $50.23 apiece, which is still inadequate. By 
