30 NANTUCKET TREES 



Ginkgo trees grov a slender spire like Lombardy poplars. 

 Only in maturity do they begin, as it vere, to experi- 

 ment in branching and threw out branches at broad angles 

 to the trunk. The tree on Union Street is in the transi- 

 tion stage. One vho knovs the wide-spreading Ginkgos in 

 the Boston Public Gardens and the avenue of great Ginkgos 

 in the Nev York Botanical Gardens -wishes that more might 

 become settled on Nantucket. 



An interesting cone-bearing evergreen stands in 

 the yard on the corner of Milk Street and Nev Dollar 

 Lane, a beautiful pyramid of a tree, CryDtomeria japonica 

 Don. This, like the Chinese scholar tree, is a native 

 of the Orient. It is rarely seen in the North Atlantic 

 states outside of arboretums although Philadelphia has 

 some fine specimens. The story of its planting on Nan- 

 tucket is an instance of the chance offering of unusual 

 plants by the trade. According to Mrs. Charles Clark 

 Coffin, her mother bought it about 15 years ago at the 

 Central Market vhich vas located vhere Mac's pharmacy is 

 now. The small plant vas bought for about tvo dollars 

 vith the idea that it vould grov like barberry for a 

 lavn shrub. 8 



At least three species of spruce are trying to 

 hold their ovn in tovn but fev of them look happy. In 

 addition to an occasional pitch pine and Scotch pine in 

 tovn there is the red or Norvay pine, Pinus restnosa Ait. 

 The beauty of its deep green foliage in the yard of 114 

 Main Street has been much enjoyed from the vindovs of 

 the Maria Mitchell House. 



The years of chance experiment in tree planting 

 on Nantucket might veil give vay to more definite plans 

 for increasing the numbers of those species vhich have 

 proved adaptable to Nantucket conditions. 



The native oaks should make good shade trees. 

 The Scotch elm and the Chinese elm have proved themselves 

 as settlers. Lindens are sturdy against the vind and 

 fragrant in June. The feathery foliage of the honey 

 locust might beautify other streets than Fair. The clean - 

 groving tulip tree vith its interesting leaves and blos- 

 soms, the Sophora and the Ginkgo to link us to China. . . 

 all three might veil have their single examples multiplied 



