Show TREES IN THE STREETS A society in new york city to beautify the avenues without doubt the tree planting as of new york has undertaken a most beneficent work so far as it proves to be practicable it will contribute as much as any other scheme that could bo projected for tho embellishment of tho city tho incorporators aro to a considerable extent the same as the incorporators of the botanic garden men well known for public spirit and intelligence thus the society begins under the most favorable possible auspices for caution and discrimination as well as for enterprise of course ita work will be peri mentaL there are streets oven aresi dennial streets in new york in which it may not be wise to attempt tree planting at all for the reason tho space cannot bo spared either from the sidewalk or the roadway for the boxes that must protect joung trees or for the trunks of such as live to maturity even in those streets in which there is room enough for trees there are many places in which no trees can thrive by reason of the lack of sunshine and indeed there aro scarcely any streets in now york below tho park in which trees can bo expected to do so well as in a place like washington where the streets aro BO wide and tho buildings so low as to give all trees that may be planted a fair chance for life almost the only streets in new york that are as favorably situated are the broadway boulevard and the riverside drive the boulevard has been until within tho past few months a dismal monument to municipal neglect now if is kept in order but time is required to replace the trees that have been allowed to die and the double row of trees that were meant high over arched to embower doea not embower at all but presents upon the whole a scraggy and dismal spectacle this of course comes mainly from neglect for there is no reason why trees in this thoroughfare should not thrive if they can be made to thrive anywhere in new york the general introduction of electric lighting will do much for the trees junices gas is still carried through the ground for fuel it is given out that uncontaminated earth will used for the setting of the new trees but judging from what we have experienced in the opening of fifth avenue tor a sewer and the previous openings of other avenues for laying cables the percolation of the gas through the fresh soil would be a matter of only weeks atthe longest the new association is plainly destined to encounter many obstacles if it succeeds in gaining even a partial victory over them it will entitle itself to the gratitude of all new yorkers new york times i |