174 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Jan. 



past planted our parks and public grounds with plants which 

 were native of other countries when we might have made them 

 beautiful with our own. 



Every city should have a by-law regulating the planting 

 of avenue and shade trees along the streets of the city, and while, 

 in all cases, it might not be desirable to confine the planting to 

 native species, yet everything possible should be done to en- 

 courage the planting of them. The merits of the different species 

 should be brought prominently before our people. A proposed 

 by-law of this kind is before the Ottawa City Council now. 



Let us now look at the material there is to draw upon, 

 beginning with the trees, shrubs and vines which are, perhaps, 

 our most effective plants. 



The Norway Maple, Acer platauoides, is a good shade tree, 

 but it is not as desirable for street planting as the Hard Maple, 

 Acer saccharum. The chief drawbacks to the Norway Maple, as 

 I have observed it, are that it forms too low a head and if 

 pruned up does not look well. This tree is being planted in 

 greater numbers every 3^ear, chiefly due, in my judgment, to the 

 fact that it grows rapidly in the nursery, and hence is a more 

 profitable tree to grow. But let us stick to our Hard Maple, the 

 best maple l)y all odds. It grows to a great height and size and 

 its brilliant colouring in autumn gives Canadian cities an in- 

 dividualit3\ 



As the Hard Maple is the best maple to plant, so is our 

 American Elm, Ulnius americaua, the best elm. The rapid 

 growth of this tree in most soils, the great height to which it 

 grows, and its graceful form, make it one of the most desirable 

 trees for street planting. Moreover, it lends itself to high prun- 

 ing, which is so necessary in our cities, where there is such a 

 mass of wires. The higher the American Elm is pruned the 

 better it looks when the tree is large, and this is a very import- 

 ant matter. In some places two species of European elms have 

 been planted instead of the American. This is a great mistake 

 as they are inferior trees to our own and e\'ervthing possible 

 should be done to confine the planting to the American Elm. 



With the Hard Maple and American Elm conceded to be 

 the two best trees for .street planting, there are few other trees 

 which need to be considered, as they should constitute by far 

 the .greater part of the planting. But for variety, a few other 

 desirable species may be used. Why the Red Oak, 'Onerc us rubra, 

 has not been more planted as a street tree is a mvstery to me. 

 It is a most beautiful tree, the fastest growing of the oaks, and 

 as rapid a grower, I believe, as the Hard Maple. Its leaves, 

 which are usually highly coloured, remain on the tree until 

 wmter and give a colour to the streets long after the leaves of 



