TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 
238 
sliding scale a basic species-value for New Jersey towns 
and cities has been worked out which gives a species score 
of 20 to the American Elm, Norway Maple, Red Oak and 
Pin Oak, and which grades other trees thus: Oriental Plane 
18, European Linden 18, American Ash 17, Red Maple 17, 
Sycamore Maple 17, Sugar Maple 16, Horse Chestnut 16, 
Tulip 16, Silver Maple 15, and the Carolina Poplar 15. 
All things considered, this basis of valuation seems to 
come nearer than any other to establishing the true value 
of to-day, and does not conflict radically with Professor 
Roth’s dictum that “from the standpoint of city beauti¬ 
fication, and considering the enjoyment people get out of 
them, good shade trees are worth $100 apiece.” This 
method differs from the Parker and Colton plans in no 
other particular than in the value of the unit. It must be 
remembered that the Roth method was promulgated 30 
years ago, the Parker method in 1907 and the Colton 
method in 1916. In keeping with all else, tree planting 
has increased in cost within recent years, and it is proper 
to recognize this in formulating a present-day table of 
values. 
Application of various figures to individual trees 
affords concrete example of the workings of the plans of 
appraisal. The experience of Newark, New Jersey, may 
be accepted as typical of what can be accomplished in any 
municipality and for this reason recourse could be had 
to the admirable records of that city in working out a table 
of values for particular specimens. This table would 
take account of one tree of each of nine species set out in 
Newark, since the city undertook municipal planting 
in 1904. These 9 trees could be regarded as thrifty 
representatives of the city’s total planting of 32,000 trees, 
showing the rate of growth under favorable conditions. 
