Shade-trees in towns and cities : their selection, planting, and care as applied to the art of street decoration, their diseases and remedies, their municipal control and supervision by Solotaroff William

Author:Solotaroff, William
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Trees
Publisher: New York : Wiley ; London : Chapman & Hall
Published: 1911-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

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Fig. 29.— a "well" constriifted about an elm-tree when fjrade was raised.

with the Shade-Tree Commission, the city engineer finally decided to make the roadway twenty-six feet in width, and the trees were permitted to remain.

Changing Grade.— When the street grade is raised or lowered, and there are trees along the line, a problem again arises as to the disposition of the trees. A good deal depends upon the condition of the existing trees. If the grade of a street is lowered about a foot, the trees can safely remain. When the grade is lowered considerably, and the trees are less than a foot in diameter, it will pay to lower

them. Very frequently an entire row of trees can be saved that way. If the trees are in poor condition, however, it is best to cut them down and plant new ones. With proper selection, planting, and care, better trees result in a short time than if an attempt is made to save poor specimens.

When the grade of a street is raised, the filling should not be brought up close to the tree, as the exclusion of air will kill it. A well should be left around the tree of as large a diameter as possible. In a few years the roots will come to the surface, and then it will be possible to fill the well and bring the soil up to grade. A grating may be placed over the opening to the well so as to guard against any one's falling into it.

When the street-grade is raised it is even possible to continue the concrete pavement close to the tree, provided an air-space is left underneath that covers as large an extent of root spread as possible. The pavement should not touch the trunk of the tree, but should keep clear of it, six inches or more to allow for the growth of the tree and the circulation of air.

In the New York Zoological Garden, many animal cages having concrete floors were built around large trees, twenty inches and more in diameter. All the trees were saved by raising the floor a foot or more above the ground and leaving an air-space between them. The tree-tru,nks were allowed to pass through circular openings in the floor, and were protected by means of iron guards so that the animals could not injure them. The work was done under the direction of Hermann W. Merkel, the Forester of the Garden.

Many cases arise in a city, involving the care and preservation of valuable trees. Each case should be studied carefully, and the best plan followed. In cities having

shade-tree departments, the people always have the sense of security that the safety of their trees is being guarded; and, if any are to be sacrificed, it is because of inevitable conditions. If, after careful consideration, it is found that there must be cutting of limbs or roots of trees, the work should be done under the supervision of one in charge of the care of trees.

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