Show Trees Now Anticipate A Much Longer Life City trees may soon be enjoying longer and healthier lives The answer to growing trees success success- successfully successfully fully in areas covered with pave pave- pavement pavement pavement ment is not a new wonder drug but buta a new type of porous asphalt being tried out in Providence R R. I. I It is hoped this type of asphalt wh will prove to be a covering that will withstand foot traffic and still sUU allow ample water to get through to the roots of the trees The experiments deal with trees planted inthe in the paved pedestrian islands of a a parking area in Provi Provi- dence The new porous asphalt be be- being being ing used as paving allows 80 per percent percent percent cent of the rainfall to percolate into the ground over the whole sur sur- surface surface sur- sur surface face of the island walks This bin bin- der-course der mixture of stone and sand combined with asphalt ob obtained ob- ob obtained obtained after considerable testing allows s cc of water to go through a inch five-inch ring rin of the mix mix- mixture mixture mixture ture in 85 seconds The percola percola- percolation percolation percolation tion is equivalent to a rainfall of nearly 15 inches The pedestrian islands which house the trees are dished to retain water Recently when hoses were turned on them not a drop of water ran over the curbs because it was absorbed as fast as asit asit asit it streamed onto the surface of the asphalt Few cities have had success in planting and growing trees in paved areas because they cannot provide adequate open ground around the bases of the trees Watering just around the trunk is not enough to provide the necessary necessary necessary sary moisture for the trees tree's fingerling finger- finger fingerling fingerling ling ends It is hoped this new paving paving paving ing plan will get to the root of the problem by providing for pedestrian pedestrian pedestrian trian traffic as well as insuring adequate moisture for the trees |