The following interesting particulars of the manner in which street planting of trees is conducted in Paris will be useful, and are given in extenso:[221]
“When the boulevarde is marked out and levelled, if the soil is of bad quality, as is nearly always the case, trenches are dug in the footway from one end of the boulevarde to the other. The width of this trench is usually about 6 feet, and its depth 4 or 5; and before filling it in drain-pipes are laid along the sides made with lapped joints so that the roots shall not enter between them. The trench is then filled with good garden earth, raising it a little higher than the level so as to allow for settling. In this ground the trees are planted about 6 yards apart. They should be carefully chosen with perfect roots, and moderately pruned. Formerly the stem was cut at about 9 feet from the ground, but this had the bad effect of preventing the top of the tree from being straight, and the practice has been given up. The trees are next staked and tied with wire over a neat wad of straw, which prevents all injury to the stem. A protecting cage, neither heavy nor very expensive, is placed round the tree to prevent accidents; and if the weather be at all dry at the time of planting, the trees are copiously watered.”
The cost of planting a tree in the Paris boulevarde is thus given:[222]
| fr. c. | ||
| 15 cubic metres of excavation at 4 francs | = | 60·00 |
| 15 cubic metres of vegetable mould at 4 francs | = | 60·00 |
| Training poles about 5 metres in height | = | 1·50 |
| 121·50 | ||
| Average deduction of 15 per cent. resulting from letting by tender | 18·23 | |
| Price by contract | 103·27 | |
| Pipe drainage and materials | 11·15 | |
| Watering appliance (average) | 2·50 | |
| Cast iron grating round the base | 46·69 | |
| Transport of tree from nursery | 2·00 | |
| Planting, including stakes | 3·00 | |
| Iron basket (to protect stem) | 8·70 | |
| The tree | 5·00 | |
| Labour for planting | 1·69 | |
| 184·00 | ||
The maintenance of each tree costs 1·58 francs.
The total cost, therefore, of each tree capitalised reaches about 8l., and its life is said not to exceed twelve years.
Before closing this chapter it is well to advert to the evident importance that the legislature attach to the planting and preservation of trees along the sides of the public streets in this country and their desire to protect them, as the following clause of the Public Health Act 1875 will show. “. . . Any person who, without the consent of the urban authority, wilfully displaces or takes up, or who injures the pavement, stones, materials, fences, or posts of, or the trees in any such street shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, and to a further penalty not exceeding five shillings for every square foot of pavement, stones, or other materials so displaced, taken up, or injured; he shall also be liable in the case of any injury to trees to pay to the local authority such amount of compensation as the court may award” (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 149).
It is a great source of regret that mischievous persons can be found who by their wilful malice injure the trees planted at the sides of streets out of the public funds and with great expense and trouble.