USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > New Haven, a book recording the varied activities of the author in his efforts over many years to promote the welfare of the city of his adoption since 1883, together with some researches into its storied past and many illustrations > Part 10
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The Campus elms suffered to some extent last year, being surrounded on all sides by trees filled with beetles; but anyone who from time to time compared the Campus elms with the elms on the old Green must have been struck by the efficacy of spraying. The college trees were not defoliated, and prob- ably not seriously injured. The beetle was not so numerous on the Campus as elsewhere, for the reason that the bases of the Campus elms had been sprayed the year before, and, the trees being stronger and in better condition, were less affected. When I saw how much the University authorities had accom- plished at a very moderate expenditure, I could not help wishing that the thousand dollars spent for fireworks, music and strings of electric lights could have been devoted to spray- ing the elms on the Green -- not that I do not favor a suitable celebration of the "glorious Fourth," but it seemed to me that .
65 In response to a suggestion from an emissary of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the University painted the fence about the Yale Field in the fall of 1909. Further improvements are in contemplation by the authorities of the University at this writing-May, 1910-in response . to the action of local committees.
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THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF ELMS.
if the city was too poor to spray its famous elms, it was too poor to burn powder in celebrating the Fourth of July.
The Employment of a City Forester Recommended
I had been for some time of the opinion that the New Haven trees would not be saved by the recommendations of the press, nor by committees appointed by the Mayor, nor by the indi- vidual initiative of citizens themselves, nor in any way except under the leadership of a competent tree expert employed and paid by the city. Accordingly, under date of July 18, I wrote a communication to one of our morning papers, review- ing the situation and advocating the employment of a city for- ester, hoping in this way to help along the realization of a "City Beautiful." I wrote in part as follows :
"This brings to me a matter which I have had in mind for the last year, namely, the advisability of having a municipal forester for the city of New Haven, such an official to have the entire responsibility placed upon him of caring for the existing trees in the streets, parks and parkways, and the planting of new trees of proper species as required. The city of Cleveland has a municipal forester whose sole duties are to look after the trees and provide for replacing them as they reach their age limit, and to plant new trees as may be necessary. It is his duty to see that the trees are provided with guards to prevent them from injury and to protect them from insect pests. According to the annual report of the Board of Pub- lic Service of Cleveland for the year ending December 31. 1906, 15,205 trees were sprayed in 1905, and 33,552 trees were sprayed in 1906.
"I do not wish the foregoing remarks to be taken as a criti- cism of the city fathers. I realize that there is a very limited amount of money to spend, and that the Park Commission has no authority over the trees on the Green and in the streets. The fact is that, if the New Haven elms are to remain anything more than a tradition, the community must meet the issue by giving the subject more care, and make up its mind to pay the bills just as other cities about us are doing."
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The morning and evening papers commented favorably upon this suggestion.55a
Professor Graves's Appeal to the Board of Public Works
A few days later -- it was in the early part of August (1908)-Professor Graves, who was conducting the sessions of the Yale Summer School of Forestry at Milford, Pa., came on to New Haven, and, seeing the condition of the trees, had on August 10th a long conference with Mr. Foley, the director of public works. Professor Graves pointed out the seriousness of the situation and explained to Mr. Foley that if the city desired to save its trees it would have to adopt energetic measures without delay. In an interview published August 10th in one of the evening papers, Mr. Foley announced his intention of asking the Board of Finance at an early meeting for $30,000 to combat the elm leaf beetle. The amount seems large, but it must be remembered that there are over 16,000 good sized elms in the city, according to data collected by the Board of Public Works under the direction of Mr. Foley. Mr. Foley further said: "These sprayers are rather costly, but if New Haven is to continue the life of its beautiful elms in all sec- tions of the city it will have to pay money. My plan is to get as much money as possible at once for the protection of the trees in the public parks in the city." No money was appropriated by the Board of Finance, and the beetles were left to themselves, to repeat this year the cycle of destruction of last year.
July Drought Favorable to the Beetles
As I have stated, the beetles are held in check in this region in ordinary years by their own enemies; chiefly, in damp weather, by a fungus which destroys the beetles and the pupæ in enormous numbers. If, however, the weather is very dry at the time the beetles are transforming, the fungus, which 55a Mr. George Alexander Cromie, a native of Scottstown, Province of Quebec, and a graduate of the Yale Forest School in 1910, was appointed City Forester, March 15, 19II.
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requires dampness, fails to develop. Consequently a succes- sion of droughts in the latter part of July produces a constantly increasing number of beetles; under these conditions an "invasion" of beetles exists. Such is the present situation. For three or four years we have had a drought in the latter part of July. We had such a drought late in July, 1907; hence the immense number of beetles last year. Last year also we had a drought in the latter part of July, so that the beetles, already numerous, were not killed off, and hence, unless the signs fail, the beetles will be very numerous this year. But of course this cannot be affirmed with certainty. The beetles may have been checked by something we do not know of. It was the opinion of the experts last year that we might reason- ably expect a large crop of beetles this year. We must be pre- pared to spray the trees as soon as the leaves come out about the first of May.
Yale Aid Offered-Professor Graves's Desire to Place the Resources of the Yale Forest School at the Disposal of the Community in this Movement-His Failure Due to the Indifference of Citizens
Believing it to be the duty of the Yale Forest School to assist the New Haven public in every possible way in saving its shade trees, Professor Graves devised the plan referred to at the beginning of this paper, of forming a shade tree asso- ciation by which citizens, having trees on or adjacent to their property, might coöperate in having them sprayed or otherwise treated under the supervision of a tree expert. Three hundred citizens have come forward and offered to join the association, whereas it was calculated that an expert could not be employed and the business of the association carried on, unless at least from 800 to 1,000 citizens joined it. A city of 120,000 people, and famed the world over for its elm trees, and less than 300 citizens willing to join an association to protect the trees from certain destruction! Is this apathy to be explained on the theory of ignorance or indifference? It is shameful in any view of it. The circulars were, it is true, sent only to citizens
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having trees on their property. Professor Graves could hardly be expected to circularize the entire city at his own expense, but through the papers everyone was invited to join the proposed association.
The Green as it Was, and as it Is-Comparisons of Early and Recent Photographs
Having now detailed the story of the planting of the Green, the neglect of the trees and some futile efforts to save them, I should like to call attention to some photographs which I have collected for the purpose of enabling my readers to com- pare the Green as it appears to-day with the Green as it was in the old days. The younger generation never saw the trees in their prime and do not know upon what the reputation of the "City of Elms" rests. I have had great difficulty in col- lecting these old photographs. Better may be found, but I offer the best that I have been able to procure. One notable collection of photographs, taken by an old New Haven pho- tographer, had unfortunately been destroyed only a few In that way 1,700 months before I began my search.
negatives, including many out-of-door views of old New Haven, perished. I now refer to the Homan collection. The pictures of the Green as it appears to-day were taken last summer (1908) in July and August, under my direction, by Mr. M. W. Filley, with the exception of the pictures show- ing "Lumbering on the Green," which were taken by him in February of this year (1909). I have found some of the old photographs impossible to date, except approximately, but the dates given will answer the present purpose.
No. I. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green as it appeared in 1864; taken on Temple Street, looking north and showing the Center Church and the old North Church. From a photograph loaned by Mr. George Douglass Miller.
No. 2. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green as it appeared in July, 1908. Taken on Temple Street, looking north, and showing Center Church and old North Church.
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THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF ELMS.
No. 3. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green as it appeared in 1871. Taken on Temple Street, looking north, and showing old North Church and the Ingersoll house. From a photograph loaned by Mr. George Douglass Miller.
No. 4. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green as it appeared in 1908. Taken on Temple Street and looking south.
No. 5. The famous Gothic arch in early spring. Taken on Temple Street, looking north, and showing Center Church and old North Church. From a photograph taken in 1871 by Mr. George C. Phelps.
No. 6. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green, side view, looking west. Taken in July, 1908. In the old days the arch was at its best in front of Trinity Church.
No. 7. The famous Gothic arch on the old Green. View looking southeast from the steps of the old North Church. Taken in July, 1908. Showing the ravages of the beetles and the general wreckage of the trees.
No. 8. Dead sugar maple and defoliated elm on the old Green. Taken in July, 1908, looking west from a point just north of Center Church. The maple has been dying for a long time ; probably killed by borers. This tree was cut down in February, 1909.
No. 9. Dead elm tree on the old Green. Killed by the elm tree beetles. The deformed and partly defoliated tree near it will soon die, and may not leaf out at all this year. Photo- graph taken in July, 1908. The dead tree was cut down in February, 1909.
No. 10. View looking down on the old Green from a high building, the south side of Chapel Street, showing the density of the foliage of the elms. From a photograph taken by the late Mr. Bundy about 1864.
No. II. The celebrated "Franklin elm" on the corner of Church and Chapel streets. In Miss Ellen Strong Bartlett's "Historical Sketch of New Haven" (New Haven, 1897) she says :
"At the corner of Church and Chapel streets is the most noted of New Haven elms, the 'Franklin elm.' Jerry Allen,
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a 'poet and pedagogue,' brought it on his back from Hamden Plains and sold it to Thaddeus Beecher for a pint of rum and some trifles. It was planted on the day of Franklin's death, April 17, 1790."
The photograph taken April 17, 1890, shows the tree deco- rated for the centenary celebration of the planting of the tree, conducted by Thaddeus Beecher's grandson, Mr. Edwin C. Beecher. This noble specimen of the species, whose over- arching branches made an incomparable entrance to the Green, might with care have been spared, but what with the beetles, the cutting and hacking of its roots, and the poisonous gases from underground service pipes, it was seriously injured and, being "in the way," was cut down. A view of the tree in full foliage is to be found on page 19 of Miss Bartlett's book.
No. 12. Dead elm on Elm Street near State Street. Pho- tographed in July, 1908, by Mr. M. W. Filley. Though not on the old Green, I insert this picture to show how a splendid tree has suffered almost every kind of neglect. It has been defoliated by beetles, its bark has been rubbed and burned off by electric wires, it has been girdled by guy-wires, and it has been trimmed without any regard for the simplest rules, but so as to present an ugly appearance and to invite decay and ruin. This beautiful tree was almost wantonly killed. Its trunk, still standing, should be visited by anyone who thinks it died of old age.
No. 13. Temple Street arch. Looking north from a point near the intersection of Temple and Grove streets. Photo- graphed about 1887 by Mr. John K. Beach.
Nos. 14, 15 and 16. A series of three pictures taken by Mr. M. W. Filley in February, 1909, showing "Lumbering on New Haven Green." They need no comment.55b
The Elm the Best Tree for City Planting
A great many persons now claim that it was a mistake to plant elms in the first place, and assert that the elm is a short- lived tree and particularly liable to be attacked by insects.
55b I let this list stand tho I cannot now (1920) supply all of the illustra- tions called for by it, the negatives not having been preserved.
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THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF ELMS.
Professor Graves points out that the life of the English elm is upwards of 500 years, and that it is probable that the life of our American elm in the forest is at least 250 years. Pro- fessor Brewer estimates the life of an American elm as between 200 and 300 years. One of the Cooper elms, planted in 1686, survived until 1840, a period of 154 years. It was feared that these trees would fall, but when cut down both, as I have been assured, were found to be sound.
The committee appointed by the Senate of the United States to report a plan for the improvement of the park system of the District of Columbia, concluded, after an extensive exami- nation here and abroad of the best species of trees for city planting, that the elm was on the whole the best suited for the purpose and recommended the planting of elms in the future development of the city of Washington. In their report (Washington, D. C., 1902), they said on page 45 :
"The American elm was chosen, not only because of the architectural character of its columnar trunk and the delicate traceries formed by its wide-spreading branches , but also because in the District of Columbia this tree is at its best, notable examples being found in the city parks and in the grounds of the Capitol."
Referring to the use of elms for city planting here and abroad, they cite the following places :
"In France, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Compiègne, Vaux-le- vicomte; in Austria, the royal palace of Schönbrunn, near Vienna; in England, Bushy Park, Windsor Great Park and Hatfield House; in America, Old Hadley in Massachusetts and Williamsburg in Virginia, are noteworthy instances."
It is to be observed that the committee referred to Old Hadley and not to New Haven. New Haven has already lost her preëminence.
From our own experience in the past and from the exhaus- tive examination of the particular subject by the Senate com- mittee, I think it may be safely said that New Haven should not depart from its traditional practice, but should go on planting elms, perhaps not exclusively, but for the most part.
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The Chamber of Commerce and the Council of One Hundred should Champion the Care of the Trees and Urge Immediate Steps to that End
Fortunately we have in New Haven, in the Chamber of Commerce and in the Council of One Hundred, two organiza- tions of large membership, to lead the public in this work of the redemption of the city as the "City of Elms." Both organizations have here a great opportunity. Nowadays there is a great deal of talk about the conservation of natural resources. Why not conserve the elms, one of the greatest assets the city of New Haven ever had?
The Chamber of Commerce of Cleveland, Ohio, the "Forest City," Leads the Movement There for the Employment of a Tree Expert
Mr. John Boddy, city forester of Cleveland, Ohio, wrote me last July that the movement in Cleveland which culminated in the employment of a city forester, was led by the Chamber of Commerce. "This service," he writes, "has now come to be recognized as one of the most important departments of the city administration, $15,000 having been appropriated for the six months ending December 31, 1908." Another letter from the office of the Cleveland Board of Supervision for Public Buildings and Grounds says: "Our City Forestry Department is doing good work in caring for trees already planted in the public streets and parks, and is increasing, by extensive planting, the present supply of shade trees."
The following excerpts from the annual report of the Board of Public Service of Cleveland, for 1907, need no comment :
"The importance of this department cannot be overestimated. Regarded either from the standpoint of civic beauty, utility or sanitation and health, trees possess a value distinctively their own and their purpose can be accomplished only by themselves.
"Whatever may be said in favor of the pleasing effects of tree-lined avenues and streets, suggesting, as they do, refine-
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ment and appreciation of the beautiful, no city improvements add so much to the value of the home and surroundings as beautiful specimen trees. And further, a tree, costing possi- bly $3 when planted, will under favorable conditions develop in such proportions that the value of the abutting property will be enhanced very many times the original cost and maintenance of the trees. But when the fact is remem- bered that our welfare and existence are so closely connected with, and dependent on, the trees, their real value and worth will be better understood and appreciated. Giving comfort, modifying the temperature by their shade, absorbing the poisonous gases generated in hot weather, purifying the atmos- phere by the inhalation, through the leaf pores or stomates and lenticels, of the carbonic acid gas so destructive to human life and necessary to plant life and its structure; exhaling and disseminating oxygen, equally indispensable to our existence- any work that has for its object the better care and protection of our trees must appeal favorably to all concerned.
"Following is a summary of the work performed by the Street Tree Department during. 1907 : Number of trees planted, 3,071; number of trees cultivated and fertilized, 24,330; number of trees trimmed and treated, 5,500; num- ber of trees sprayed, 27,234; number of trees dead and dis- eased, removed, 6,994; number of guards placed around newly-planted trees, 2,250.
"The increasing interest of citizens in this work, and the cooperation of those controlling some of the interests detri- mental to tree life, are most gratifying, and must result in making not only possible, but a veritable reality, the reclaiming of our fair city of its better name, the 'Forest City.'"
The Duties of a City Forester as Laid Down by the Report of Mayor Driscoll's Committee
When I suggested last year that New Haven should employ a city forester, I did not know that Mayor Driscoll's commit- tee had in their report made the same recommendation. I
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had in fact never seen the report from which I am pleased to again quote :
"It has been shown that the present unsatisfactory condition of our street trees is largely due to the lack of intelligent care. In this report certain remedies have been suggested for the existing evils, but it is the opinion of the committee that they can not be properly applied unless supervised by a com- petent expert. In order to establish and manage a city nursery, to select specimens for the streets and parks and to superintend the work of planting them, to trim the young trees, to select such as should be removed, to protect the trees from injurious insects and from mutilation, to properly fertilize them, etc., etc., there is required a special knowledge which can be found only in a trained expert.
"The committee therefore recommends the appointment of a city forester.
"The city forester should be charged with the entire care of the trees in the streets and interior parks of the city. It should be his duty to make regular and thorough inspection of all the trees within the city, and, in case of damage from insects, disease, gas, lack of water and air for the roots, or from any other cause, he should institute and superintend the applications of such remedial measures as may be necessary. If any trees are dead or have become unsightly through disease or mutilation, the city forester should superintend their removal. If trees stand too closely together and they can be safely thinned out, he should superintend this operation.
"The city forester should, further, establish and manage a city nursery to raise trees for the newly-planted streets and to fill the gaps in the older streets and parks. He should per- sonally select the trees from the nursery and superintend the planting in the streets and parks; and he should see to it that. the young trees are protected, where necessary, by wire screens or similar appliances. Finally, it should be his duty to trim the trees whenever necessary."
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THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CITY OF ELMS.
Cities Throughout the Country Taking Up Systematic Care and Replanting of Trees
At that time (1900), nine years ago, the idea of the employ- ment by a city of a tree expert was a new thing. Now the plan is spreading all over the country. It is no longer in the experimental stage. The reports issued by these tree experts and by shade tree commissions are significant of the awaken- ing of city people to the æsthetic, sanitary and monetary value of shade trees. A city with its streets ill paved and with a lot of broken down, diseased, deformed, mutilated, stag- headed trees standing about, does not present an inviting aspect to the investor. In his circular letter of last January, Professor Graves said :
"There are few of our neighboring cities in which the shade trees have been neglected as they have in New Haven. As an indication of what is done elsewhere, the following cities may be selected, which have either shade tree commissions or city foresters to take care of the trees in the interior parks and on the streets: Washington, D. C .; Hartford, Conn .; Spring- field, Mass .; East Orange, N. J .; Cleveland, Ohio; Rochelle, N. J .; South Orange, N. J .; Morristown, N. J .; Newark, N. J .; Yonkers, N. Y .; Brooklyn, N. Y .; Buffalo, N. Y .; St. Louis, Mo .; Perth Amboy, N. J .; Rutherford, N. J .; Plain- field, N. J .; Boston, Mass .; Jersey City, N. J .; Philadelphia, Pa .; Camden, N. J .; Wilkesbarre, Pa .; Passaic, N. J .; East Rutherford, N. J .; Cambridge, Pa .; Northampton, Mass."
Place the Responsibility on a City Forester
If the citizens were paying a forester they would take interest enough in getting their money's worth to see that he was faithful in doing the work they paid him to do. More- over, the very doing of the work itself and the certain improvement that would immediately be seen, would arouse a new interest in the trees and a new pride in them. Citizens could walk the streets with more self-respect, if the trees mutilated, as they now are, were being intelligently cared for.
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A City Forester a Lecturer in the Public Schools
A city forester should cooperate with the Board of Educa- tion, giving illustrated talks on the care of trees to the chil- dren in all our public schools.
Mr. J. J. Levison, city forester of Brooklyn, N. Y. (he is a graduate of the Yale Forest School and sufficiently grate- ful to Yale to offer to come here and lecture gratis to help the movement along), tells me that he is constantly employed by the Board of Education of Brooklyn to give talks on the care of the trees. Any tree expert employed by the city of New Haven should somehow be brought into our school systems; the main principles of his work are so simple that any child can understand them. When the children are genuinely interested and informed, a great step forward will have been made, since, when they succeed the present genera- tion, they will insist as citizens on an intelligent care of the trees, and adequately punish any abuse of them.
City Conditions Hard on Trees
In Mr. Levison's "Planting and Care of Trees in Towns and Cities," he says :
"All trees, like all growing objects, vegetable or animal, need attention, whether found in the city or in the country. But city trees, like city people, have their lives especially beset with greater perils and difficulties than their more fortunate fellows of the country, and they, therefore, need special atten- tion or else are bound to die prematurely. Moreover, our modern necessities, asphalt pavements, horses, wagons, dust, smoke, gas, electric and telephone wires, are all inimical to the growth and development of trees; and to retard the detri- mental effects of these enemies of the trees one must give the city tree frequent assistance and supervision or else lose it prematurely."
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