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Show ABOUT ROAD- SIDE TREES In answer lo inquiries from the. United States, Consul-General Robert P. Skinner, ot Marseille, furnishes thb following Information relative to Hie elTect of wayside trees on ,French roads: . "It is proposed to plant irees along the toadsldes ot New York stale In order to keep the moisture In the road and prevent raveling, and the question ques-tion has been raised whether or not t he roots of such trees may spread out underneath un-derneath the road surface, and eventually eventu-ally create great damage hi a severe climate where there ate extremes of heat and cold. While French roads are not always bordered with shade trees, they are so very frequently, and my information is that the trees are planted not only for furnishing shade, but In order to protect the roads themselves against the effects of excessive ex-cessive tieat and drought. It Is believed be-lieved that the long dry summer sea-sou sea-sou is much more Inimical to roads than severe cold. The chief officer In charge of the public roads In Marseille Is ot the opinion that, on tho whole, New York roads would be benefited If bordered with trees, suggesting, however, how-ever, that only such should be planted as have vertically descending roots." How to Plant the Trees. F. Blrot, civil engineer, and former conductor of the bureau ot bridges and highways, expresses himself as follows on the subject: "In countries where the climate is damp roadside trees are prejudicial to the maintenance of the highways, as they prevent the circulation of the air and the drying of the soli; In most of the southern French regions such plantations arc, on the other hand, very useful in dry weather, as they maintain the roadbed in a stato of freshness favorable to its conservation. conserva-tion. In general, trees should be selected se-lected with high spreading branches, such as the poplar, the elm, the ash, and they should be planted generally upon the outer edge of the road box aud at distances of 10 meters (32.80 feet). Each tree should be placed In a hole 1 meter (3.28 feet) deep and It meters (4.02 feet) square, and should be trimmed to a height ot 21 meters (8.20 feet) above the surface. "The earth about newly planted trees should be loosened In March and November In March only after the third year and thereafter until their permanent growth appears assured; small trendies should be directed toward the foot of the tree, in order to secure the benefit of rains. Finally, Final-ly, the tree itself should be trimmed annually during the first ten years." |