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* THIRD REPORT
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THE COMMISSION ON
BEAUTIFYING THE CITY

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NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.
July 1913—July, 1915

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MEMBERS
of
THE COMMISSION ON BEAUTIFYING THE CITY

1908-1910
Henry N. Castle, Pres. W. Haywood Moreland, Sec’y.
Barton Myers, Arther Morris,
Hugh M. Murray.

1910-1912

Barton Myers, President
Arther Morris William B. Roper
Hugh M. Murray Benjamin Spigel

Henry N. Castle, Secretary

1912-1914
William H. Sargeant, Jr., President
Arther Morris William B. Roper
Hugh M. Murray Benjamin Spigel

Henry N. Castle, Secretary

1914-1916

Albert R. Turnbull, President
Ralph S. Gale J. Iredell Jenkins
John J. Pitt Wm. B. Roper

Henry N. Castle, Secretary

APPOINTMENT BIENNIALLY

Three by the President of the Common Council.
Two by the President of the Board of Aldermen.

COMPENSATION ea
Good. citizenship and “For the Public Good.”

 

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THIRD REPORT

of the

Commission on Beautifying the City.

To the Honorable Mayor, Board of Control, Board of Aldermen,
and Common Council of the City of Norfolk, Va.

Gentlemen : —

The Commission on Beautifying the City herewith submits
its third report for the period commencing July Ist, 1913, and
ending June 30th, 1915.

As will be seen by figures submitted later in this report,
there has been a steady advance in the work of the Commission,
and some of the many projects that have been planned have
been completed, others are in process of construction, and others
—like the tree problem of the City—, will be a continual process
for many years yet to come. However, as progress indicates a
living organism, so the work that has been done through the
instrumentality of the Commission, aided by other City Depart-
ments, is indicative of the interest and activity of the Commis-
sion in rendering more habitable and beautiful the City in which
we live.

In the last report mention was made of the base of the foun-
tain having been set in the ornamentation at the head of The
Hague, waiting the generosity of some citizen who might wish
to donate to the city a bronze cascade fountain suitable to the
location, and as an expression of regard to the city that had
enabled him to accumulate a substantial competence for himself
and family. It is a gratification to note that an offer has been
made to the Commission looking to the donation of such fountain,
though not by a single citizen of the city, but through one of its
schools which has accumulated a fund to be used for such pur-
pose. As soon as the association has completed its plans, it is
expected that drawings will be made for such suitable fountain,
and its installation, it is hoped, will be recorded in the next re- |
port of the Commission. The ornamentation at the head of The
Hague has proved a source of pleasure and benefit to very many
citizens and to children particularly, who, during the trying
weather of summer have found it a delightful resort fanned by
the sea breezes which apparently never cease coming to The
Hague. ‘
 

THE HAGUE

Some progress has been made looking toward the filling,
grading, seeding and improvement of the parkway along Dundaff
Street, which, when completed, will receive similar treatment as
to ornamentation, trees, shrubbery, etc., as is to be found across
The Hague on Mowbray Arch.

The opening up of Olney Road Extended has now become an
accomplished fact, and will require close attention in utilizing
the triangular pieces of ground that are so well adapted to orna-
mentation and can be made a very attractive part of this im-
provement.

Though receiving the approval of the public improvement
committee, and approved as a very desirable advantage to the
city by the finance committee, yet on account of the close margin
of the city to its bonding limit, funds have not been available
to make the desirable extension of Grace Street from Duke to
Yarmouth, and the consequent added area to Lee Park.

Attention is called to the loss that the city is sustaining in
the delay, even though necessary, of constructing a permanent
retaining wall around Lee Park, and preventing further washing
away of its filling with every tide. The temporary bulkhead
and retaining wall have become so decayed as to be utterly irre-
parable, and a continuance of this attrition will cost as much to
replace the soil and elevate the surface of Lee Park as the wall

itself will cost.
4
Your attention is called to the constant interest of the
Commission in completing this portion of the ornamentation of
this central part of Norfolk, and the continued crying necessity
for such permanent improvements as will necessitate no further
expense. This sect:on from Botetourt Street Bridge up to Monti-
cello Avenue is an improvement that must be taken as a whole,
even though sections of it are completed at a time, so that when
finally completed, it may be a harmonious whole. The rapid
decay of the retaining walls from Botetourt to Dunmore, from
Dunmore to Yarmouth, and from Yarmouth around Lee Park to
Duke, and the unfinished retaining wall from the foot of Fairfax
Avenue to Duke Street, will shortly prove not only a loss to both
property holders and to the city, but also become a menace to
health and life. Judiciously expended, sixty thousand dollars
will make such improvements as will obviate further expendi-
tures for such sea wall, and enable the filling of low places, and
the dredging out of Smith’s Creek, so that there may be a depth
of water at all stages of the tides, to go on slowly and without
great expense, until the same shall have been completed, and add-
ing estimated taxable property values to the city of not less than
two hundred and fifty to three hundred thousand dollars, with
an annual tax revenue at the present rate of about three thou-
sand dollars, to say nothing of large added property expenditures
that would normally come from the completion of this much-
desired improvement.

There is a steady request upon the part of property owners
along Jackson Park for the proper treatment of that section
lying between Brambleton Avenue and Falkland Street, and the
plans that have been drawn fully provide for an advantageous
treatment of these low lying lands, providing a boulevard and
parkway one hundred feet wide, a proper concrete drain of such
dimensions as will fully provide for the drainage of the large
area naturally draining to this portion of Newton’s Creek.

5
 

 

 

POSSIBILITIES OF TREATMENT OF NEWTON’S CREEK RESERVOIR.

A large reservoir basin of lake-like dimensions, that will
provide an abundance of water at each incoming tide to thorough-
ly flush out all drainage matter at the ebbing of the tide, insur-
ing a sanitary condition of this section and providing a sheet of
water admirably adapted for Park ornamentation and greatly
increasing the beauty of both Park and Boulevard planned to
border the lake; and will enable the property owners to make
valuable and marketable large areas of at present submerged
land, and will add, when improved, not less than an additional
three to four hundred thousand dollars to the taxable values of
the city. The same shortage of funds that has prevented the
completion of the improvement plans upon Smith’s Creek has
operated in like manner for the commencement of the improve-
ments upon Newton’s Creek, and the extension and completion of
Jackson Park. It can be demonstrated without question, that
these improvements will enhance the value of abutting property,
and permit the filling in and improvement of lands now of no
value, that the income from such improved property, in the
shape of taxation, will more than doubly pay the interest upon
the bonds necessary for such improvements, and also provide for
the retirement of such bonds thirty years from their date of

issue.
6
The probable erection in the near future of another High
School building in this Jackson Park section, now under conside-
ration by the School Board, gives another reason for the imme-
diate commencement of the final reclamation of this section of
the city, and permit its filling and grading for permanent resi-
dential improvements, sure to follow the completion of the neces-
sary drainage canal and reservoir embankments.

THE STREET TREE PROBLEM.

Pursuing the plans laid out by the Commission, after careful
consultation with other cities, discussion as to the needs of our
own city, and looking to the ultimate completion of the planting
of trees upon all the streets of the city where it was desirable
that trees should be planted, the Commission has made as rapid
progress as has been permitted with the appropriations granted.
Because of the limited amount allowed for office expenses, and
the contribution of time in managing the active work, the over-
head charges have been so low that the Commission has been
enabled to place trees calipering one and a half and one and three-
quarter inches, six inches from the ground, guarded with a gal-
vanized iron one-half inch mesh No. 16 wire guard, with a safety
collar around the neck to prevent tree chafing, staked to the
ground with a 2 x 2 cypress stake, seven feet long and driven
into the ground twenty inches, with large openings supplied with
an abundance of mulch, and carefully planted, at the uniform
price of two dollars per tree, a price about one-half of the amount
that the revorts from other cities show that it has cost them.
Of course this minimum’ overhead charge cannot be much longer
continued, unless other citizens are willing to contribute their
time for the advancement of the work, so that allowing a fair
compensation to those managing the work, and for office ex-
penses, this minimum price should doubtless be $1.00 greater,
or $3.00 per tree, staked and guarded.

As will be seen by the ordinances printed in this report,
provision was made for planting trees at cost for citizens not
wishing to wait their turn. when in the course of time the
Commission would be enabled to plant street trees fronting their
property without cost to them, and who were willing to pay the
initial cost for such planting, the trees thereafter to come under
the charge of the Commission to be cultivated, watered, sprayed,
mulched and looked after by the Commission hastening the
growth of such trees with every facility at the hands of the
Commission, and in case of loss of the tree by natural death or

7
accident, the same to be replaced by the Commission without
further cost to the citizen; also for planting without cost to
citizens to the extent of its appropriation, upon the largely trav-
elled streets and boulevards of the city, and used by the larger
number of citizens and school children. Naturally there has
been some complaint that trees are planted without cost for some
citizens, and the initial cost required of other citizens, who have
requested the Commission to plant trees at once in front of their
property; and it has sometimes happened that trees will be
planted upon a given street at the corner, without cost, and
charge made for trees fronting the lot around the corner for
citizens who have requested such latter planting. The Commis-
sion has endeavored to make it plain in receiving orders, what
the initial charges would be for trees so planted out of the
regular order and plan under which the Commission works, and
may be briefly summarized as foltows:

In outlining its work, the Commission considered it desir-
able that all citizens should have the benefit of wholesale rates
in the planting of trees and shrubbery upon the streets fronting
their property, and only because of the large number hand!ed
by the Commission, and its low overhead charges, has it been
enabled to do the work at the present figure. This has secured
to the citizen the planting of a larger tree set in a more careful
manner, supplied with a fertilizing mulch, staked and guardcd
with a strong galvanized iron guard, watered in dry weather,
sprayed if necessary, and has secured the renewal of the tree, in
case the first one planted dicd. In estimating the number of
trees required to plant all the streets upon which it was desir-
ab’e that trees should be planted, it was founda that it would re-
quire about sixty thousand trees. With the appropriations that
have becn made, the Commission has been vnable to average
more then two thousend trees per year, including the renewals.
It feels that at least four thousand new trees should be planted
each year, exclusive of the renewals, and thus bring witnin fif-
teen years the complete re-forcsting of the city streets. Nat-
urally, provision had to be made for citizens who were not will-
ing to wait from five to fifteen yeors for the Commission to
plant trees free of cost in front of their premises. Hence the
drawing of the ordinance providing for the payment of the ini-
tal cost of planting, and thus securing the co-operation of any
and all citizens who were willing to pay this minimum price, and
thus have trees growing around their premises. Citizens who
are not willing to pay the price should not give orders for plant-
ing trees, nor should they ask of the Commission to stop their

8
regular work, as laid out by the Commission upon the principal
streets and thoroughfares of the city, and make exceptional
cases, but simply wait their turn until sufficient appropriations
have been made to accelerate the work, and thus bring 1¢ within
the lifetime of the average individual.

In other States, provision has been made for planting trees
along entire streets and thoroughfares, and charging up the ini-
tial cost therefor as special taxes to the individual owners, and
collecting the same as other taxes are collected. The laws gov-
erning special taxation are so uncertain in their workings in Vir-
g-nia, that no attempt has been made to make them applicable
to such improvements in this city, and inquiries as to making
them applicable have been met with adverse opinions from those
best posted in the law. Apparently, the “sacred rights of pri-
vate property” are still regarded as paramount to the larger
interest and welfare of the public in the State of Virginia. Hence,
the provision made in the ordinance for the voluntary application
to the Commission upon the part of citizens willing to pay the
initial cost of planting, and tne preference given by the Commis-
sion to such plantings over and above its regularly planned work.

The most advanced thought and ideal method is well ex-
pressed in an act recently passed by the Nova Scotia legislature,
at the instance of the Halifax Improvement League, the sections
bearing upon this subject reading as follows:

Fifth—The cost of providing, planting or transplanting
trees in any street, and of suitable guards, curbing and grading
for the protection thereof, when necessary, and of the proper
replacing of any pavement or sidewalk necessarily disturbed in
the doing of such work, shal! be borne by the owner of the real
property in front of which such trees were planted or set out:
and the cost thereof as to each tract of real property shall be
certified to the council of such town or city, and also to the offi-
cials having charge of the collection of taxes for the said town
or city; and upon the filing of said certificates, the amount of
the cost of such improvements shall be collected in the same
manner as the general rates and taxes of the town or city, and
if not paid by the property owner as hereinbefore provides, shall
become a lien upon said real property in front of which said
trees have been planted, set out or removed.

9
Sixth—The cost of caring for said trees after having been
p:anted or set out, or for the replacing of such trees so set out,
shall ke borne or paid for by the town or city, the money to be
wovided by appropriation to be placed annually in the estimates,
such appropriation not to exceed the sum of one-tenth of one per
ceut of the total revenue raised by assessment on real estate and
personal property.

Without doubt the steadily growing interest in this plan of
civic betterment, will cause all our States to adopt similar laws,
and with the constantly increasing number of cities coming un-
der the Commission or General Manager form of government,
this matter of purely local interest in each community will be left
where it belongs as to methods and means with the governing
municipal authority determined by the expressed wish of the
people.

Mention has been made of consultation with other cities
which have had several years of experience in handling this
problem, before inaugurating the plan upon which the Commis-
sion conducted its work. This has enabled the Commission to
profit by the experience of other cities, and avoid some of the
troubles which they encountered.

The ordinances under which the Commission works, as they
now stand, have been found to work satisfactorily, and are given
in full for the benefit of not only our own citizens, but for the
benefit of other cities making inquiry of Norfolk as to how and
in what manner she has succeeded in doing the work that has
become noticeable, even though but only fairly started. Re-
quests from departments in other cities similar to our own, from
public libraries gathering all available data for the use of their
patrons have been received from Maine to California, and from
Florida to Oregon, covering nineteen States, and going beyond
our own boundaries to the Hawaiian Islands, to Alberta, Canada,
to York, England, and Perth, Australia.

The order of procedure followed secured first, an act of the
State legislature embodying in the city charter provision for
the organization of the Commission, Section 62 of the City
Charter reading as follows:

10
CITY CHARTER.

The City Council shall have the authority to establish a
Commission of five to serve without compensation to be com-
posed of citizens who may or may not be members of the City
Council to be known as the Commission on Beautifying the City.
The said Commission shall be authorized to look into and con-
sider all matters pertaining to the beautifying of the city, such
as the appearance and arrangement of streets, parks, buildings,
waterways and trees. It shall also be its duty to confer with
the county authorities and with the owners of suburban land as
to the proper laying out of their property to conform with such
general plans as may be devised by said Commission and approv-
ed by the Council. The said Commission shall from time to
time make to the Board of Control or City Council such reports
and recommendations as it may deem best. The Council shall
have authority upon the request of said Commission to employ-
an expert to assist the said Commission in its work. The said
Commission shall organize and ho!d its meetings as may be pro-
vided for by ordinance. In case of any vacancy in said Commis-
sion from any cause, it shall be filled by the appointing power
by which the appointment is made. The City Council is auth-
orized to make from time to time such appropriations for the
work of said Commission as it may deem expedient and to make
such ordinances in connection therewith as it may deem proper.

Under Section 20, sub-division 7, authority is given to the
City Council to have shade trees planted along the streets. Sub-
division 22 gives authority to prevent the running of animals at
large in the city and to regulate the keeping of same. Sub-
division 28 provides that the Council shall have power to make
other and additional ordinances as it may deem necessary for the
general welfare of the city. Section 21 provides for the imposi-
tion of fines for violation of its ordinances.

Under these provisions of the City Charter, the Councils
passed an ordinance establishing a Commission on Beautifying
the City of Norfolk providing for the appointment of its mem-
bers and defining the duties and powers of the said Commission.

This ordinance approved by the Mayor October 15th, 1908, is as
follows:

11
ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING COMMISSION.

Section 1. BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the
City of Norfolk that from and after the passage of this ordinance
there shall be established a commission for the City of Norfolk
to be known as the “Commission on Beautifying the City,” to be
composed of five citizens who may or may not be members of the
City Council. The members of the said Commission shall serve
without compensation.

Section 2. On the first day of September, nineteen hundred
and eight, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and biennially
thereafter, the President of the Common Council shall appoint
three members of the said Commission.

On the first day of September, nineteen hundred and eight,
or as soon thereafter as practicable, and biennially thereafter,
the President of the Board of Aldermen shall appoint two mem-
bers of the said Commission.

Section 3. The members of the said Commission shall each
hold their respective offices during the term of their appoint-
ment and until their successors are appointed and shall qualify.
And in the case of the death, resignation, removal or disqualifi-
cation of any member of the said Commission, the power ap-
pointing the said member shall appoint his successor on the said
Commission for the unexpired term of said member.

Section 4. The said Commission shall have the authority
to look into and consider all matters pertaining to the beautify-
ing the city, such as the appearance and arrangement of streets,
parks, buildings, waterways, and trees. It shall also be the duty
of the Commission to confer with the owners of suburban land
as to the proper laying out of their property so that the same
when laid out shall conform with such general plans as may be
prescribed by the City Council, or as may be devised by the said
Commission and approved by the City Council, and also with the
authority of the County of Norfolk in any matter pertaining to
the duties of the said Commission and requiring any action on
the part of the said authorities.

The said Commission shall, from time to time, make to the
Board of Control or to the City Council such reports and recom-
mendations as it may deem best.

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Section 5. The said Commission shall organize by the elec-
tion of one of its members as President. It may meet at such
times and places as it may deem proper, and adopt its own rules
of order. The said Commission shall be authorized from time to
time to make such expenditures as shall be provided for by
appropriation by the City Council.

Section 6. The sum of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or so
much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated for
account of the said Commission for the fiscal year beginning
July 1, 1908, which sum shall be paid by the City Treasurer upon
warrants drawn on him by the City Comptroller.

Section 7. This ordinance shall be in force from and after
its passage, and all ordinance or parts of ordinance in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed.

Organizing under this ordinance, the Commission proceeded
to embody rules governing its procedure in the following

CITY ORDINANCE GOVERNING THE COMMISSION.

Section 1. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City
of Norfolk that the Commission on Beautifying the City shall
have the management, control and care of the parking space be-
tween the street curbing and the sidewalk, and of all trees and
shrubbery on the streets, avenues and public grounds except
public parks; shall direct and regulate planting, transplanting,
pruning, removal, care and protection of all shade and ornamental
trees and shrubbery in the streets, avenues and public grounds
of the City ; designate the kind, quality and character of all trees
and shrubbery to be planted and cultivated ; determining distance
for such planting, and to have all other necessary and convenient
powers incident to the conduct of its duties.

Section 2. Said Commission in the furtherance of its duties
shall have authority to establish and maintain nurseries for the
cultivation and growth of trees and plants for public use, upon
such land owned by the city as may be designated by the Board
of Control. Said nurseries shall be under the supervision of the
Commission on Beautifying the City, to be operated under such
rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the said Commis-
sion. Said Commission is hereby authorized to supply and in-
stall free of cost, trees and plants from its nurseries to be planted
on the streets of the City at such points as the said Commission
may deem expedient, or for the purpose of replacing trees which

18
have heretofore been planted but which have died; or in such
cases as the said Commission may deem it expedient to furnish
and install trees and plants at estimated cost, paid in advance,
for planting on the street fronting the premises of persons desir-
ing to improve the same.

Section 3. Said Commission in the furtherance of its duties
shall have power to purchase or manufacture tree guards for the
protection of trees, and hitching posts, and to furnish and to
install the same at cost, paid in advance, to citizens desiring to
protect trees already growing or that may hereafter be planted
on the streets. Said Commission shall keep account of all trees,
plants, seeds, mulch, tree guards, hitching posts or materials
therefor, made or purchased, also an account of receipts from
sale of the same and the cost of installation to citizens; those
used by the Commission for the City use; an inventory of those
on hand, and render a monthly statement to the Board of Con-
trol and City Comptroller and shall turn all receipts therefor
into the City Treasury, the same to be credited to the account
of the Commission on Beautifying the City for the further use
of the said Commission in the line of work already provided for
in the appropriations. No diversion of funds to otner objects
shall be made by the Commission except by approval of the City
Council.

Section 4. No person or corporation shall plant or set out
any shade trees or cause or procure any person to plant or set
out any shade tree in or on any part of any public highway of
the City of Norfolk without first obtaining a written permit
therefor from the Commission on Beautifying the City, setting
forth the conditions under which said tree may be planted or
set out and in all respects comply with the conditions of such
permit.

Section 5. No person or corporation shall cut, break, climb,
injure or remove any living tree in a public highway of the City
of Norfolk, and no person or corporation shall injure or misuse
or remove or cause or procure any person to injure, misuse or
remove any device placed to protect any tree or plant in any
street of said city. Any person desiring to cut, trim or remove
any shade tree in any street of the city may apply to the Com-
mission on Beautifying the City for a written permit therefor,
and upon such permit being granted may climb, cut, trim or
remove any tree or trees mentioned in such permit in accordance
with the terms thereof.

14
Section 6. No person or corporation shall, without a writ-
ten permit from the Commission on Beautifying the City place or
maintain or cause to be placed or maintained in a public highway
of the city any stone, cement or other substance which shall
impede the free access of water and air to the roots of any tree
in such highway. Unless otherwise provided for in such written
permit there must be maintained about the base of the trunk of
each shade tree of the city four square feet of open ground for a
tree three inches in diametei, and for every three inches of in-
crease of such diameter there must be an increase of at least
one square foot of open ground.

Section 7. No person or corporation shall in anywise inter-
fere or cause or permit any person to interfere with the Commis-
sion on Beautifying the City, or its employees, in and about the
planting, mulching, pruning, spraying or removing of any tree
in the public streets of the City or in the removing of stone,
cement or other sidewalk, or stone cement or other substance
about the trunk of any tree in any such street of the city, or in
cultivating, seeding and caring for the parking space between
the street curbing and the sidewalk in any sidewalk of the city.

Section 8. No person shall stand or walk upon or in any
way injure the grass growing upon parking space between the
street curbing and the sidewalk upon any street of the city.

Section 9. No person shall hitch or fasten any horse or
other animal to any tree, box, stake, or guard securing such
tree on the streets, avenues or other public grounds of the City
of Norfolk, or tie any horse or animal within reach ot any tree
or shrubbery or turn loose, or permit to be turned loose, or per-
mit to stand unfastened any horse or other animal, or permit
the same to graze or roam at large on any street, avenue, park,
parkway or other public grounds of the city.

Section 10. No person or corporation shall affix or cause
to be affixed to any tree upon the streets of the city or other
public grounds any notice, announcement, advertisement or other
thing whether in writing or otherwise, or make cuts, paint or
marks except for the protection of said trees or for giving its
common and botanical name without written permission first
obtained from the Commission on Beautifying the City.

15
Section 11. No person or corporation shall attach or cause
to be attached any guy-rope, cable or other contrivance to any
tree or shrubbery or to any guard or stake protecting such tree
or shrubbery or to use same in connection with any banner or
transparency or permit any electric wires, cables, signs, poles,
crossarms, brackets, insulators or other wires or fixtures to be
attached thereto or come in contact with any shade or ornamen-
tal tree standing on the streets or other public grounds of the
city, or cut, trim, or chop branches or tops of trees without the
written consent from and under the supervision of the Commis-
sion on Beautitying the City.

Section 12. Any person or corporation violating any of the
provisions of this ordinance shall upon conviction thereof, forfeit
and pay a penalty of not more than fifty dollars at the discre-
tion of the court in which conviction is had.

Section 18. Nothing in this ordinance shall be considered
as preventing other City Departments having proper authority
from doing necessary work in parking places, provided that they
restore the same to a condition satistactory to the Commission
on Beautifying the City.

Section 14.. This ordinance shall be in force from and after
its passage and publication according to law, and all ordinance.
or parts thereof in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

The members ot the Commission have found it of exceedingly
great value to them in executing the work planned, to have a
definite chart before them of things needed to be accomplished,
and these definite subjects of discussion and action are herewith
given as indicating what the Commission had in mind as a result
to be attained by its planning, what it has accomplished, and
what it has yet before it to accomplish.

WORK PLANNED BY THE COMMISSION.

1st. The redemption and improvement of Smith’s Creek,
and of The Hague.

2nd. The Drainage of low lying sections and the filling in
of such drained land either for streets or parks, or for business
or residence purposes.

3rd. Securing the establishment of, and dedication to the
city, of all available parking spaces.

16
Ath. The systematic handling of the tree problem in the
city in the cultivation, care, pruning and protection of trees al-
ready growing, and in planting additional trees upon the streets
of the city.

5th. The preparation and installation of a city nursery or
nurseries, and the ultimate growing of all trees required for
street and park use and for supplying the citizens of Norfolk.

6th. Securing the passage of such ordinances as would se-
cure proper protection and care of the city trees, parkway areas,
etc.

7th. Stimulating citizens to greater care of their premises
by the inauguration and conduct of a Beautifying Contest.

8th. The preparation of a map of the territory adjacent
to Norfolk City boundry lines covering all territory likely to be
platted in the next quarter of a century and ultimately to be-
come a part of the city, and securing such uniformity in future
platting as will conform to a general plan securing continuity
of streets, uniformity of street names, and the establishment
of such parks and parkways as will be needed in an expanding
city.

WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

Ist. Permanent improvements upon the Hague competed
and further ornamentation in process. Construction of con-
crete drains completed upon upper Smith’s Creek and plans
drawn for sea walls, drains, road extention of Grace Street and
boulevard from Granby to Botetourt Street.

2nd. A steady filling in of low lands has continued from
year to year which has greatly improved the low-lying dis-
tricts and made them available for roadways, parks, business
and residence locations.

8rd. All available spaces that can be utilized for parks
obtainable have been secured and requests made of owners of
other spaces not yet obtained.

Ath. As hereinafter more fully described nurseries have
been established at West Point and Forest Lawn Cemeteries.
The other items planned have been vigorously pushed towards
a completion limited only by the appropriations made available.

As Sub-division of Section 4, the Commission outlined for
its work an object ultimately to be attained as follows:

17
 

 

 

 

 

LIVE OAKS ON WESTOVER AVE.

THE TREE PROBLEM.

Ist. Preparation of street map, atlas and index containing
list of the streets of Norfolk and inventory of trees thereon and
location of same.

2nd. Assigning to the different streets the kind of trees
suitable for planting, after investigation has shown what the
soil and location naturally require.

3rd. The determination of uniform distance for tree
planting upon the streets, with reference to the growth and
spread of different kinds of trees.

18
4th. Trimming of trees already growing so that a six
foot man with a raised umbrella can pass there-under without
annoyance, as well as scientific trimming and repair of trees.

5th. Making this department a Bureau of Information
and co-operation with citizens desiring to plant trees upon
street frontings and upon their premises and of advice and as-
sistance in having such planting done properly.

6th. Give information to the public by articles regularly
appearing as to the best shade and ornamental trees adapted
to different soils, and minute instrucions to be observed in the
preparation of the root bed and in the transplanting and sub-
sequent protection and care of the trees.

7th. The removal of deseased, decayed and useless trees,
and the immediate substitution therefor, when desirable, of
other trees.

8th. Correspondence and consultation with city foresters
of other cities, and a careful study of local conditions with re-
ference to prevention and cure of tree diseases and the de-
struction of the pests.

9th. The continual impression upon the public that the
vigorous and healthy growth of a tree is the best preventive of
disease and parasitic and fungus growths.

10th. With consent of the owner, where trees, not suit-
able for the location have been planted and are growing, or
where trees have been too thickly planted, to transplant the
same to other and suitable location, and to substitute proper
trees and care for the same until a healthy growth is shown.

11th. Immediate preparation upon city property, such as
a portion of the Forest Lawn Cemetery, of a nursery for the
planting of seed gathered from healthy trees in Nortolk and
other sections, and for the transplanting and cultivation of
shade trees, until the city shall own such a number of young
trees of the various kinds found desirable to meet not only
its wants for parks and substitution for decaying and worthless
trees, but from a schedule of prices, to furnish citizens such
trees as they may require in the improvement of their own pro-

perty.

12th. Preparedness to take contracts as per schedule of
prices, for furnishing, transplanting, cultivating, boxing and
caring for trees, for owners desiring to improve their property.

19
138th. To have on hand ready for installation as per sche-
dule of prices, uniform kinds of hitching posts, wood, concrete

or metal as desired and their protection, and to install same
when so desired.

14th. To secure passage of ordinance placing in the Com-
mission’s hands the charge of all street trees with authority to
systematically plant trees each spring and fall until all streets
of the city upon which it is desirable trees should be planted,
shall have been filled out with trees. And further to invest
the Commission with the care and protection of the same, and
to prepare and secure passage of proper ordinances for the pro-
tection and preservation of street trees and shubbery from
lawless depredation and by the prevention of running at large
of animals or of leaving unhitched or of hitching to trees,
horses, and providing for the use of suitable hitching posts.
Also for the improvement and care of parking spaces between
the curb and sidewalk on all streets where desirable.

The Commission had confronting it at the beginning of its
work, the remnants of surviving tree life scattered more or
less thinly all over the streets of the city. A few surviving
trees had been enabled to live with a complete change in en-
vironment from the original surroundings. With the advance-
ment of paved streets, concrete sidewalks, granite curbs, and
the necessary curtailment of tree roots and of a living parking
space, had come the slow decay and death of thousands of trees
that had been planted during the many previous years of Nor:
folk’s growth. It was found that trees that had a flourshing
growth when there was more open space between the houses,
abundance of light and air, plenty of room in which to grow,
could not endure the change, and so had to be eliminated from
the list of desirable trees that could endure city hte; notably
amongst this list are the silver maple and the magnolia, there
being but few sursivors of the latter, for hundreds that were
originally planted in sections of our city, and the silver maple
showing signs of deterioration in every part of the city, and
necessitating their fina! removal.

20
 

 

 

 

 

WETSOVER AVE., AN AVENUE OF PIN OAKS.

Comparing the normal life of a tree with a tree surrounded
by city improvements, one can readily see what extraordinary
care is required to enable plant life to grow at all under such
abnormal conditions. Normally, the roots of the tree extend
outward from the trunk about the same distance that the
branches spread out above leaving ample space upon which
the rain falls; the roots extend downward to the moist strata
that comes within a few feet of the surface. An abundance of

21
light surrounds the tree, and pure air circulates all through
the branches. In autumn the leaves fall upon the ground and
furnish a mulch and fertilizer for the future growth oc the
tree. The necessary city improvements have changed all this
condition, and plunged the tree into unnatural environment.
Our cities have been sewered, and thereby drained of the
natural moisture upon which the tree thrives. We have laid
concrete sidewalks, cutting off water and air that they require.
Instead of an ample parking space being left tnat which is
left is so narrow that there is only about one-fourth to one-
fifth for the normal requirements of the tree; and in the older
portions of the city no parking space whatever has been left,
but the entire surface covered with a brick or concrete pave-
ment. We have built our houses so closely that light and air
are curtailed. We sweep our streets, and take away all leaves
that fall giving no chance for mulch or fertilizer, except as it
is supplied in other ways. We have strung our electric wires
to catch the branches above, and installed gas pipes to drain
the moisture by the trencn, and to poison the roots with leak-
ing gas. The trees not being protected, unattended horses
with vigrous appetites gnaw the bark of the tree causing disease
and decay. Our houses and factories give off volumes of smoke,
and automobiles fill the air with noxious gases. We _ have
bricked over or cemented up the space around the tree. Mis-
chievous boys and thoughtless and careless people have broken
the branches, cut the bark or bent the tree over in endeavoring to
make swings of them. The San Jose scale is ready to attack
trees of feeble growth as its powers of resistance are decreased,
and so we find parastic foes of all kinds in numberless quanti-
ties upon the older and decayed trees of the city. Not know-
ing any better, the ice-cream man empties the salt water from
his freezers around the tree, and that means its death.

This gives in brief the situation that faced the Commis-
sion at the inauguration of its work, when desiring to make the
city more healthful and more comfortable to its citizens by the
steady evaporation of moisture thrown off by the foilage, and
the air made pure by the absorption of carbonic gas.

It has been estimated that a tree with its trunk twelve
inches in diameter and normal top, will, on a hot day, throw off
250 gallons of water in an invisible vapor, thereby cooling the
air to such an extent that it has been further estimated by
scientific aboriculturists that a street lined with full grown
trees, and having the advantage of the grateful shade and
evaporation of this invisible vapor, will be ten degrees cooler
than the same street with no trees or parkway area, with side-
walks and curbs joining, bare, desolate, wind-swept, dust-laden
and sun-beaten a terror to nee beast.
 

 

 

 

 

AN AVENUE OF NORWAY MAPLES.
Careful investigation of the movement for beautifying our
cities having been made, and the experiments of other cities
taken into consideration, the Commission found that it was the
concensus of opinion of nearly all cities that the work could
be successfully accomplished only by municipal control and
management of its street trees and parkways areas, and care
of all trees and shubbery upon the streets and avenues of the
public grounds of the city. Whatever ordinances have been
passed by other cities, as well as our own, have centered around
this prevailing idea. One nas but to 1ook at the remnants of the
attempts at beautifying and tree planting upon the streets of
our own city to be perfectly certain of the lamentable failure
that has been made by trusting to individual enterprise. It
clearly shows that individual action does not and cannot secure
uniformity of results. A public-spirited citizen would improve
his property and plant his street trees. His next door neighbor
takes no interest whatever or perchance is a non-resident lot
owner, and thoroughly believing in the “sacred rights of pri-
vate property” is utterly indifferent to anything but the rise
in value of his property by his neighbor’s improvements. Trust-
ing to the beautiful cuts and glowing descriptions of cata-
logues, undersirable and inharmonious varities of trees would
be ordered and planted, and thus instead of harmony and beauty
would appear all sorts and varities of trees good, bad and in-
different, as well as lack of trees along the streets of our city.
And then the public spirited citizen would die or sell his pro-
perty, and his successor either not liking the trees or not car-
ing for them would cut them down, or allow them to go to decay.

The time will come, even in Virginia, when the public in-
terest of the hundreds and thousands of citizens who daily pass
along the streets, and who pass under the trees, will be con-
sidered of a greater and paramount interest than of any single

24
citizen who has planted the treés, and who ¢laims the “sacred
rights of private property.” Hence, the logical conclusion has
forced its way into state after state that the city as a whole
should look after its greater interests, and place its protecting
care over its street trees, Hence individual action has come to
be supplanted by municipal control, not forgetting the individual
interest nor the enhanced value of his property through such
improvement, and charging up to him the initial cost, but there-
after removing from him any further ¢are and the larger ex-
pense of continious oversight, which is borne by the city which
thus carries the greater cost of perpetual maintenance.

PRUNING AND TREE SURGERY.

The Commission continued its work of pruning the older
trees of the city, as well as putting in proper shape the trees
newly planted during the summer and fall of 1913 and 1914.
Hundreds of trees that had survived their usefulness and were
a disfigurement rather than an ornamentation to the streets of
the city were removed, and as a rule new trees substituted in
place thereof. Trees worth saving were properly treated, re-
moving the decayed portions, covering them with an antiseptic
paint and the cavities filled with cement filling, with the pro-
bable result of prolonging the life of the tree for a number of
years.

25
 

 

AN OAK SAVED. COR. MARINER AND CHAPEL STREETS

The territory already covered embraces the older portion
of the city from the line of the Norfolk & Western Railroad
upon the east, up to Park Place and Lindenwood on the north,
and to the Elizabeth River on the south and west. Also two-
thirds of Brambleton, leaving only the portion between High-
land Avenue and Princess Anne Avenue, and between the Nor-
folk & Western track of the city limits. In addition, the Lam-

26
bert’s Point territory lymg between the Norfolk & Western
Railroad upon the south, the spur track of the Norfolk & West-
ern Railroad running up to Colley Avenue and 49th St., upon
the east, 48th St., upon the north and the Elizabeth River upon
the west, also that portion of Berkley lying to the west, north
and east of St Helena Government Reservation, covering about
two-thirds of the work required in Berkley, leaving only a
small territory yet to cover outside of Park Place. In 1917
Park Place will become an integral part of the city, and then
its street trees will be sunject to treatment, which, while need-
ing such treatment at the present time, is not permitted, until
the time limit has expired when Park Place becomes the same
as any other portion of the city. The Commission is of the
opinion that another year’s work will clear up all the territory
outside of Park Place requiring tree trimming and tree treat-
ment, again going over portions of the city that were treated
two years ago, and now requiring the removal of a few dead
branches that naturally come from year to year, when but
slight expense would be required, from year to year, to keep
all the trees of the city in good condition, excepting Park Place
which will require a full six months or more work by four men
to properly care for and preserve the trees in that section of
the city.

CATERPILLARS AND SPRAYING.

1914 will go down in the history of Norfolk as the plague
year, a plague of Tussock moth Caterpillars, e!m beetles, army
worm and persistent and killing drought. If participation in
the troubles of a plague can make humans sympathetic, then
the inhabitants of Norfolk should have a genuine sympathy for
their ancient neighbors, the Egyptians, enduring their ten
plagues.

Without the necessary equipment for the destruction of
the Tussock moth caerpillar in June, the plague of August and
September was a natural consequent. Enough was learned
during this fight of weeks and months to make preparation for
a vigorous campaign against these pests another year. With
proper spraying outfits, and a sufficient force, the Commission
would be enabled to rid the city of scale, elm beetles, Tussock
moth caterpillars and other pestiferous insects that prey upon
our trees. To do this work thoroughly, it would require an ap-
propriation similiar to that given in other cities of like size, and
who are doing the same kind of work successfully. When it is

27
remembered that Newark, New Jersey uses for the protection,
care and planting of its screet trees $38,000.00 annually, that
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, appropriates $50,000.00, in order to
handle the work properly, and so far as tree planting is con-
cerned, not surpassing Norfolk with its appropriation of
$7,150.00, it can readily be seen that to get control of the work,
and anticipate these plague troubles, a much larger force and
equipment, as well as a much larger appropriation, is required.

With twelve to fifteen thousand dollars at its command,
the Commission would carry out its plans with reasonable dis-
patch and compass the work, looking to a final result of all
streets where it is desirable trees should be planted, completely
filled with trees cultivated at least six times each seaon, watered
when necessary, sprayed twice each season, preserve and keep
trimmed all the trees of the city, and reduce to a minimum the
insect pest which makes life miserable for all citizens who re-
main in the city during the summer months.

The Commission should have a power spraying outfit, and
another horse and wagon to keep up with its requirements.* A
large amount of work necessary for the best protection, growth
and care of the trees 1s necessarily left undone from lack of
force, and of the requisite appropriation for the payment of
such force. The work has now outlined itse:f in such definite
channels, both as the result of our own experience and the ex-
periences of other cities, that the problem has reduced itself
to one of accomplishing just so much necessary work tor a de-
finite available appropriation. With such definite appropria-
tion hereinbefore mentioned, the Commission expects to have
the first planting of all trees required, in fifteen years time.
At the present rate, it will require from thirty to thirty-five
years to reach this desideratum. Until the necessary equip-
ment and the necessary force is at the command of the Com-
mission, we may expect renewals of the caterpillars plague. To
lessen it as much as possible, the Commission has arranged to
manufacture ‘caterpillar torches’ in sufficient number that
will permit the co-operation of citizens who are willing to assist
in the removal of the plague from their own locality. These
torches are so arranged that the scorched caterpillars will be
caught in a screen like frame placed just below the torch, so
that they will not fall upon the ground to again climb the trunk
of the tree, or make themselves a nuisance upon steps and
porches of the house. In its use of these torches during the
summer of 1914, the Commission filled several barrels with

%* Purchased January 1916.

28
these caterpillars thus caught in the screen-like frame, which
were taken to the outskirts of the city and destroyed. It is the
plan of the Commission to have these torches prepared and placed
upon jointed handles, so that branches 20 feet high can be
reached from the ground, and higher branches by means of
step ladder, and these torches will be available to any citizen
upon the deposit of one dollar with the Commission, the torch
to be retained by the citizen, if desired, or to be returned to
the Commission in good order, and the dollar refunded. By
starting in time as soon as the webs begin to appear upon the
trees, and with the co-operation of one hundred citizens, to-
gether with its own force, the plague can be reduced to a mini-
mum, and the second appearance of the caterpillars in August
so reduced in numbers, as to be a negligible quantity.

The spraying of the older trees, particularly the old silver
maples of which no more are being planted, and of the elms
throughout all portions of the city should begin at once, and
be kept up until the San Jose scale and maple and elm scale are
completely abolished. The extraordinary care heretofore men-
tioned should be exercised in this way, in order that the trees
may be protected from such parastic growths, as their power
of resistance has by their environment been thus much lessened.

It took Newark, New Jersey, eight years to get the upper
hand, but she has succeeded, and the citizens are proud of the
healthful appearance, rapid growth and enhancing beauty of
their sixty thousand trees, valued at one and a third million
dollars, and look upon their annual expenditure of thirty-eight
thousand dollars as one of the best investments that the city
ever has made, or can make.

An outline to show the continuous round of work that pre-
sents itself from one year’s end to another, and that must be
expected and provided for, in so far as street tree planting is
considered, is briefly given as follows:

The beginning of the city’s fiscal year, July 1st, usually
finds the force busily engaged in cultivating the street trees
planted during the three preceding years as well as those planted
the current year, the soil having been loosened to the extent of
four to six square feet around each tree, according to the size,
with pick and spading fork. The trees planted the fall and spring
preceding, simply requiring surface cultivation at this time. This
cultivation accomplishes two purposes; first, the pulverizing of
the soil at the surface prevents the evaporation of moisture from

29
below and conserves this for the use of the tree. Second, it
breaks up the baked surface, and permits the ready access of the
requisite air for the best growth of the tree. After the first
thorough cultivation in May of which one man can attend to
about 50 trees per day, this later surface cultivation can be done
at the rate of about 200 trees per man per day. Should there be
6,000 trees to cultivate, this will have taken 120 days work for
one man in May, or if six men are employed, it will require 20
days. Then this surface cultivation follows at regular intervals,
and should be done every ten or fifteen days, and particularly
after hard rains, which beat down the soil and make that caked
appearance which is detrimental to the growth of the tree. If
dry weather is continuous, another force operating two wagons
carrying water is spending its time in a thorough watering of
the trees particularly those of the current and preceding. years
planting, using three and four buckets to each tree. By the use
of spading forks a sufficient loosening and opening of the ground
is made to permit the water to go down to and beneath the roots,
then by covering the surface with dry earth or mulch, this
thorough watering will last the tree a week or more. In passing,
it might be well to state that watering two or three times a
week during continuous dry weather by the property owners, in
the manner above described, will materially hasten the growth’
of the tree, and enable it to attain a size and spread of branches
that ordinarily will not be attained in two or three years growth.
Meantime the trees in the nursery are requiring cultivation and
watering, when dry, to prepare them for future use in street
tree planting. July and August is also the season for the har-
vesting of the rough feed, such as oats, millet, corn fodder and
Feterita for the use of the teams, necessary for the handling of
the work. The cultivation and watering extend through the dry
weather, often-times commencing in May and extending through
September. Trees that would otherwise perish for lack of water
are preserved and kept growing, thereby preventing the loss of a
year’s growth of the tree, and the cost of replacing. In Septem-
ber and October the leaves in the Parks and Cemeteries begin to
fall, and from that time on until they cease falling in November
or December, one team and a man are required in the prepara-
tion of a quantity of mulch composed of layers of fallen leaves
and loads of street sweepings for use the following year. Large
preparations have to be made in this way a year ahead, to fur-
nish the requisite amount of mulch for street tree planting, for
mulching trees already planted, and supplying orders to citizens
for mulch for lawns and flower gardens. In October prepara-

30
tions are required in the nursery for heeling in the trees that
are purchased from nurseries abroad, and which are preferably
ordered and received during the fall of the year, usually in
October and November. Upon the arrival of such car-load of
trees, the force is employed in removing the same carefully from
the cars, protecting the roots from sun and drying winds, and
immediately placing the same in the nursery, thoroughly cover-
ing the roots with soil and so arranged as to be easily taken
up when required for use upon the street tree planting. Weather
permitting, tree planting begins the latter part of October or
November and extends during the mild weather up to about
the first of April. During the colder days, the force is employed
in turning the mulch pile to facilitate its thorough decomposi-
tion; also during November and December trenches are carefully
prepared for planting the slips from the Oriental Planes, Lom-
bardy Poplars, Babylonian Willows, California Privet, and slips
trom other plants 1rom which future trees and shrubbery are to
be raised. During very cold weather and stormy days, the time
of the force 1s utilized in the making of guards, the sharpening
and dipping in green creosote stain the cypress stakes used in
holding the tree and guard upright. With the appearance of
Spring, the Nursery trees require trimming, and where inclined
to grow crooked to be straightened by tying to stakes placed
alongside. Calls are frequent from citizens as the Spring advan-
ces for loads of mulch, and for the planting of trees upon the
streets fronting their premises. As Spring advances and pre-
vents further planting ot trees, the cultivation is immediately
taken up and continued as hereinbefore stated, and this from
one year’s end to the other, a force is steadily employed in push-
ing forward the transformation work in protecting and preserv-
ing what has been done in preceding years, replacing of the trees
that have been destroyed by natural causes or accident; and in
the meantime, as sort of side issues, unusued plats of city prop-
erty, triangular strips, irregular sections formed by intersecting
streets are graded, ornamented by trees and shrubbery, or pro-
vided with flower bed forms for cannas or other varieties of
flowers, and the work of cleaning up and making beautiful the
city in all of its environs is a subject of thought, consideration
and work upon the part ot the Commission on Beautifying the
City, and the force employed by them.
“LS ‘HLZL ONY SSANN3AY NVYOW GNY NA1713M411 SO NOILOASHYSLNI “AHVd ATONVIEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

32
TREE NURSERIES.

In 1911, the Board of Control assigned ior the use of the
Commission for tree nursery purposes the City property lying
to the west and north of West Point and HilImwood Cemeteries,
bounded on the west by Forest Lake drain, and upon the north
by the property owned by the Virginia Railway & Power Co.
This tract was mostly filled land, having formerly been the low-
land through which flowed one of the branches of Smith’s Creek.
This lowland had been filled with all sorts of refuse from the
City streets, and was a veritable jungle.

Also there was assigned to the Commission in Forest Lawn
Cemetery a tract of woodland, six or seven acres, which it was
necessary to clear off and grub out to make it available for tree
planting. With its smau torce at oda times, the Commission
cleared the city tract, which it has named “West Point Nursery,”
and now has available several acres which it is utilizing for nur-
sery purposes. The balance of the property to the north ex-
tending to the line of the Virginia Railway & Power Co.’s proper-
ty, as shown by the city plats and records, is not available at the
present time, being covered by the tracks, buildings, ties, poles,
etc., of the Railway, who decline to remove the same,
though requested so to do. Probably a tengthy law suit will be
required tg make available this city property assigned for the
use of the Commission, the matter now being in the hands of the
city attorney.

From the experience of like Commission in other cities, and
from its own experience, the Commission found that it was a
matter of economy, and almost a necessity, to have a place to
which could be removed trees from the street requiring special
treatment, and also as reducing to a minimum the loss of trees
planted upon the streets of the city. It was found that trees
received from nurseries located at a distance not possessing an
abundance of fibrous roots, as is desired for trees planted upon
the streets, were much more subject to loss, particularly in a dry
season, than similar trees taken up from our own nursery and
transplanted to the street upon the same day that they were
taken from the ground. The shock of transplanting was thereby
reduced to a minimum. It was found that an abundance of
fibrous roots were developed in the one or two years growth in
the nursery. Hence the Commission adopted the plan of pur-
chasing trees for street planting 114 to 134” caliper as the most
desirable size to plant with a chance of the least percentage of
loss, and to get trees of one, two and three sizes smaller for plant-

33
ing in the nursery, that in the course of one, two and three years
such trees would attain sufficient growth to become suitable for
street planting. The experience of caring for a tree in the nur-
sery is estimated at about 10 cents per year, the nursery being
provided with connection with the water main has prevented any
loss of consequence amongst the trees planted in the nursery.

With the development of the Forest Lawn Nursery, there
will be ample room to plant even smaller sizes which by cultiva-
tion will attain the necessary growth, and obviate the necessity
of the purchasing of the larger sizes and more expensive trees

in the future. The nursery at Forest Lawn is admirably adapted
for nursery purposes, being a fine, rich soil of good depth and
being surrounded by forest trees, except to the south, making
conditions ideal for rapid growth. The Commission has pur-
chased some 5,000 seedlings, Elms, Norway Maples, Pin Oaks
and Gingkos, which it is planting and will plant or transplant
each year a like number until twenty-five to thirty thousand
trees are growing from which can be taken each year those of
proper size to fil the requirements of street tree planting. As
a full grown tree ready for planting upon the streets is worth a
dollar at wholesale nursery rates, sometimes more, it can readily
be seen that there will be a constantly increasing growing value
to the nursery stock owned by the city, which will enable the city
to provide its own trees at a less expense than if purchased di-
rectly from outside nurseries. The Commission has provided
for drive wells at Forest Lawn, and a force pump with power at-
tachment, which will enable it to irrigate the growing trees in
exceedingly dry times.

The economy of a nursery can best be illustrated by a con-
crete example in street tree planting. During a dry season, it
would not be an abnormal loss of ten per cent of the trees planted,
although the Commission has not lost through its careful plant-
ing any such per cent, though in its plantings it has replaced
sets of trees whose loss has been 90% since the original planting
by others before the organization of the Commission. Each
tree, upon an average, costs in labor, guard, mulch, excavation,
filling and tree $2.00 each. The Commission plans to plant four
thousand trees annually. Procured from outside nurseries, it
invites a larger percentage of loss. Ten per cent of 4,000 trees
would be 400 trees, at two dollars each, would be $800.00, to
which should be added the lost growth of a year, in the most

34
vigorous variety of tree. Taken from our own nursery, and
planted upon the streets, tne Commission has experienced a loss
as low as one-tenth of one per cent; supposing such loss is one
per cent on 4,000 trees. This would be a loss of 40 trees at $2.00
each, which would be $80.00, which taken from $800.00, would
leave $720.00 to the good for care of nursery, or enabling the
Commission to care for 7,200 trees in the nursery for what would
be a loss without nursery planting, to say nothing of the lessened
cost of tree production at ten cents a tree per year, as compared
with the cost of a dollar per tree for trees of the requisite street
size. That there wili be some losses from accident, leaking gas,
untoward conditions that could not be foreseen goes without say-
ing, but to provide for such normal losses, the Commission keeps
a few trees of each variety corresponding to the number planted
each year growing in the nursery, so that in case of a loss of a
tree of one, two, three or four years planting upon the streets,
a tree of corresponding size is at hand to replace the ones lost
upon the streets.

In its work of tree preservation and cultivation the Commis-

sion has sought the co-operation and hearty assistance of citi-
zens.

35
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37
When indications point to the commencement of building
operations and the liability of injury to growing trees, the fol-
lowing letter is sent to both the owner of the property and to
the contractor:

COMMISSION ON BEAUTIFYING THE CITY

ARMORY BUILDING ALBERT R. TURNBULL, PRESIDENT
5 MONTICELLO AVENUE RALPH S. GALE
NORFOLK, VA, Je IREDELL JENKINS

JOHN J. PITT
WM. B. ROPER

H. N CASTLE, SECT’Y. & FORESTER

 

 

 

 

 

Contractor! Spare that tree;
Touch not a single bough,
Protect it, root and branch,

And the guard that shields it now.
°
38
We believe you will be glad to co-operate with the Commis-
sion in protecting and preserving the trees of our city, so that
it is hardly necessary to call your attention to Section 5 of the
city ordinance which forbids any injury to any tree or guard pro-
tecting the tree, on the streets of the city and provides a $50.00
fine for those who are heedless in the matter. The practice of
piling or placing building material against or around or upon
tne open spaces about the trees is injurious, harmful and hurtful.
Instruct your workmen to take a few old boards six feet long
and make a temporary box around tree, guard, and all, as indi-
cated in above cut, and then YOU will be safe, the TREE will be
safe, and these “children of the city” will live and grow and
make a grateful shade for you and your children.

COMMISSION ON BEAUTIFYING THE CITY.

Trees have been planted more or less continuously by the
Commission on the following streets:

Armistead Bridge Road, Botetourt, Boush, Bute, Colley Ave.,
Chapel, DeBree Ave., Dunmore, Duke, Frederick Ave., Farquar
Ave., Freemason, Grace, Hanover Ave., Hardy Ave., Highland
Ave., Harrington Ave., Holt, Jamestown Boulevard, Lovitt Ave.,
Maple Ave., Main (Berkley), Manteo, Maury Place, Mowbray
Arch, Olney Road, Omohundro Ave., Poplar Ave., Park Ave.,
Princess Anne Ave., Roswell, Reilley, Shirley Ave., Spotswood
Ave., Tunstall Ave., Walke, Washington Park, Westover Ave.,
12th, 14th, 15th, 16th.

The Commission has planted trees, by order of the School
Board, upon the grounds of the following schools:

Matthew Fountaine Maury High (Moran Avenue and Fif-
teenth St.), Patrick Henry School (Atlantic City No. 1, Colley
and Pembroke Aves.), Robert E. Lee (Atlantic City No. 2, Moran
and Graydon Avee.), Robert Gatewood (Berkley No. 2, Poplar
and Fauquier Aves.), John Goode (Brambleton No. 1, Claiborne
and Reservoir Aves.), Stonewall Jackson, (Corprew and Reser-
voir Aves.), Henry Clay, (Chapel St. nr. Queen), James Madison,
(Bowden’s Ferry Road and Lawrence Ave.), John Marshall,
(Omohundro Ave. and 15th St.), Abraham Lincoln, (Berkley,
Culpeper and Nelson Sts, Colored), Samuel C. Armstrong, (Cum-
berland and Kent Sts., Colored), Lott Carey, (Princess Anne Ave,
Colored), John Henry Smythe, (Queen St. near Bank, Colored),
John T. West, (Wilson and Gordon Aves., Colored), Joseph
Charles Price, (Church St. and Avenue B.)

The Commission has planted trees in the following parks in
Colonial Place by order of the Colonial Place Corporation.

39
East-Side Park, West-Side Park, Yorktown Circle, James-
town Circ!e.

Large orders have been given to the Commiss:on for plant-
ing trees upon the streets fronting the respective ho'dings of The
Apbey Land Company, Ghent Residence Corporation, The Ghent
Company, Virginia Investment Association, and The Westover
Company; while nearly six hundred citizens have co-operated
with the Commission in paying the initial cost of two dollars
per tree planted, staked and provided with wire guards, ordering
from one to a score of trees planted upon streets, in every portion
of the city.

Trees have been trimmed and repaired by tree surgery and
cavities filled with cement, sagging limbs liable to split from the
tree, bolted and cabled, and dead and dangerous trees removed
from the following streets:

Accomac, Albemarle, Alexander, Andys Ave., Anne, Argyle
Ave., Arlington Place, Armistead Bridge Road, Ashland, Bald-
win Place, Bank, Barnard Ave., Baxter, Baylor, Beale, Bellamy
Ave., Berkley Ave., Bermuda, Bernard, Beverly, E. Blackwell,
Blow, Bluestone Ave., Boissevain Ave., Bond, Botetourt, Boush,
Bowden’s Ferry Road, Brambleton Ave., Brewer, Brook, Brown
Ave., Brown, Brunswick, Bute, Bute Extd., Camp Ave., Canton,
Capps Boulevard, Carrolton, E., Castner, Catawba Ave., Cecelia,
Chapel, Charlotte, Chestnut, City Hall Park, Claiborne Ave.,
Clark, Clay Ave., Clifton, College Place, Colley Ave., Colonial
Ave., Cooke Ave., Corprew Ave., Crozier, Cumberland, Dart-
mouth, DeBree Ave., Denby, Division, Duke, Duncan, Dunmore,
Dutten, Elizabeth, Elkhorn Ave., Elim, Elmwood Ave., Fairfax
Ave., Falkland, Fauquier, Fenchurch, Ferguson Ave., Fort,
Franklin Ave., Frederick, Freemason, Front, Gates Ave., Gibbs
Ave., Goff, Goode Ave, Grace, Granard, Granby, Granville Ave.,
Graydon Ave., Grayson, Grigsby Place, Hacker, Hall, Hamilton
Ave., Hamlin Ave., Hanover, Hardy Ave., Hanson, Harrington
Ave., Hermon Ave., High, Highland Ave., Hill, Herman Ave.,
Hope, Hough Ave., Howard, Hughes Ave., Hughes, Hull, Ivy, Ja-
cob, Jamestown Boulevard, Jamestown Ave., Jamieson Ave., Jef-

40
ferson, Kenova, kent, Kimball, Land, Landing, Lee, Lewis, Lib-
erty, Lincoln, Linden, Llewellyn Ave., Lovitt, Maltby Ave., Man-
teo, Maple Ave., Marshall Ave., Maury Place, May Ave., Middle-
ton, Mill, Minturn, Monticello Ave., Moran Ave., Mowbray Arch,
Mozart Ave., Mulberry, Nason, National, New Jersey Ave., New-
port Ave., Nicholson, North, Ohio Ave., Olney Road, Omohundro
Ave., Park Ave., Parker Ave., Patrick, Payne, Pearl, Pelham
Place, Pembroke Ave., Pendleton, Pine, Poole, Poplar Ave., Pow-
ell, Powhatan Ave., Pulaski, Queen, Raleigh Ave., Redgate Ave.,
Reeves Ave., Reilley, Reservoir Ave., Rhode Island Ave., River,
Riverview Ave., Rose Ave, Roswell Ave., Rowland, Salter, Scott,
Sheldon, Shirley Ave., Smith, Southampton Ave., Spotswood Ave.,
Stafford, Stansberry “Ave., Starr, State, St. Helena, St. Paul,
Suffolk, Tunstall Ave., Thetford, Thomas, Virginia, Voss, Walke,
Walnut, Ward Ave., Warren Crescent, Washington Park, Wayne
Ave., Westover Ave., Westmoreland, White, Wide, Willoughby
Ave., Windsor Ave., Wingfield Ave., Wood, Woodis Ave., Wythe,
Yarmouth and York.

Acknowledgment is hereby made of the courtesy of the
Newark Shade Tree Commission of Newark, N. J., in the loan
of two cuts: To the Wm. H. Moon Company of Philadelphia
in the loan of a photograph from which cut was made illustrating
the possible treatment of Newton’s Creek reservoir, and to the
Chamber of Commerce for its loan of the cut of the Hague.

41
FINANCIAL REPORT.

RECEIPTS FOR TWO YEARS.
July 1st, 1913, to June 30th, 1915.

Appropriation for fiscal year 1913-1914______________ $6,200.00
Appropriation for fiscal year 1914-1915______________ 7,150.30
Receipts of Commission fiscal year 1913-1914__________ 1,527.08
Receipts of Commission for year 1914-1915__________ 1,840.70

Total Receipts for two years__________________ $16,718.08

DISBURSEMENTS FOR TWO YEARS.
July 1st, 1918, to June 30th, 1915.

Refund to City Treasury June 30th, 1914__________ $ 597.55
Refund to City Treasury June 30th, 1915__________ 357.14
Trees purchased for street and nursery planting_____ 3,117.23
Wire for tree guards, stakes, hose and creosote oil____ 1,416.03
Labor tree trimming and tree surgery_______________ 2,077.50
Labor tree planting, cultivating, watering, Nursery
preparation and cultivation__________-_---_---_-_ 4,742.30
Hire of teams for planting, cultivating, spraying,
muleh,, €te:- 2c sso. 552.0 Soe oe coe ee 285.20
Purchase of horse, wagon and harness_____________- 275.30
Tools, lumber, supplies, scalicide, dynamite, sand, ce-
ment, eles 22-2522 5266 2a ao ee 1,016.64
Heed fOr Cea 2 feito sein eae De a Ge ae hela 281.42
Repairs of wagon, harness, tools, shoeing, etc.________ 40.60
Water Rent, Insurance, etc. _________-_-_____________ 86.32
Construction Nursery fence and moving tool house___ 245.13
Services secretary and stenographer________________ 1,842.75
Stationary, printing, postage, car fare and sundry
OLTICE EXPENSES 222 eee 326.97
American Civic Association dues___---_------______ 10.00
$16,718.08
Less refund to City Treasurer_.._____________ 954.69
Total expenditures for two years___---___-_-____ $15,763.39

42
Inventory of Equipment and Supplies on hand June
oO ng WD psec i tt ee Aa $ 5,986.00

Summary of trees planted from beginning of Commission:

 

Spring Of: 1901.2 eo ee 112

Fall of 1911 and Spring of 1912______________________ 967
Fall of 1912 and Spring of 1913________________--_-___ 1,686
Fall of 1913 and Spring of 1914_____________________- 2,023
Fall of 1914 and Spring of 1915_____________________- 2,042
Ro) 21 Pale ea ee Nr DOS WA RI ERD YAS CURE CSS EE 6,830

SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS BY CITY COUNCIL AND
RECEIPT BY COMMISSION
From July, 1908 to June 30th, 1915.

Appropriations:
UY OOS ees ca i at Crd Bare ed tas $ 500.00
DULY ROL oo ae eee el ee ees 300.00
February; 1911, 223) oo eee eee ee 1,000.00
April, 1911 (for Nursery) ____._______-________ 1,000.00
May, 1911 (for Nursery) __-_--_______________ 450.00
Fiscal year 1911-1912________________________ 2,100.00
Fiscal year 1912-19138______--_----___________ 6,945.00
Fiscal year 1913-1914________________________ 6,200.00
Fiscal year 1914-1915____--__________________ 7,150.00

Receipts by Commission from sales of trees, guards,
labor, mulch, etc., to Dec. 31st, 1911__$ 152.85
From Jan. 1st, 1912, to June 30th, 1913 ___ 2,788.80
From July 1st, 1918, to June 30th, 1915 ___ 3,367.78 $ 6,309.43

 

Total Receipts 1908 to June 30th, 1915 $31,954.43
Refunds to City Treasurer of unexpended balances:

June 30th, 1911_______________ ee $ 3.44

June 30th, 1912-_____________-_ 201.52

June 30th, 19138_____________________ 736.21

June 30th, 1914-______-_- 597.55

June 30th, 1915____-__________ ee 357.14

Total Refund to City Treasury ________ 1,896.06

Net total expenditure by Commission to June

BOO Uli LU as ee eee eee $30,058.37
 

 

 

 

 

A completed portion of Mowbray Arch, in the Ghent Residence Section of Norfolk, Va.

Plans prepared for a similar method of improvement upon both banks of Smith’s Creek,
from Botetourt Street Bridge up to Granby Street.

 

Again the Commission acknowledges its indebtedness to the Shade
Tree Commission of Newark, N. J., in the loan of its cuts, instructive of
its civic work, for use in this report.

H. N, CASTLE, Secretary.

44