58 



ARBORICULTURE 



Ginkgo Biloba or Maidenhair Tree. 



A LMOST a coiiturv ago the United 

 /-\ States authorities imported from 

 Japan a large mmil^er of tliat 

 wonderful country's clioicest trees, 

 among which was this true gem. A 

 few specimens were planted at the 

 botanical gardens, and an avenue fonned 

 of a portion, in the Department of Agri- 

 culture grounds. One specimen stands 

 in the public gardens of Boston, while 

 others were distributed throughout the 

 country. These are now large, handsome 

 trees, from which many have been propa- 

 gated. 



The Ginkgo, or Salisburia. as it was 

 frequently called, is undoubtedly the 

 grandest tree which Japan has con- 

 tributed to America. 



The leaves are fan shaped, unique in 

 many respects, being the reverse of 

 almost every tree specimen, appearing 

 like an evergreen, yet falling in autumn. 

 The veins are prominent and are parallel. 

 In color it has a very beautiful shade of 

 green. 



The trees grow to a height of seventy- 

 five or eighty feet, and have an upright 

 conical form. 



There seems to be no complaint of 

 disease or insect attacks from any portion 

 of America, which is greatly in its favor. 

 The Ginkgo has been planted in every 

 state and is doing well everywhere. 



Probably there arc more .specimens of 

 this interesting tree in Washington city 

 than in any other locality, owing in part 

 to the former difficulty in obtaining seed, 

 yet more to the thorough knowledge of 

 its value by the park authorities of the 

 District of Columbia, and a want of this 

 information among the public generally. 



All nurseries of ornamental trees now 

 have them in stock, and they may be 

 readily obtained. While the Ginkgo 

 makes a goorl avenue trei-. it is far better 

 as a park and lawn specimen and should 

 not be trimmed up as wouUl be neces- 

 sary on a street. 



The ( )ricntals in Washington seek the 

 nuts which they consider rare delicacies ; 

 these are somewhat like almonds, al- 

 though more resembling a large plum 

 seed, and have a remarkably thin shell, 

 and are contained in a i)ulpy fruit of 

 olYensive odor, Init easily washed from 

 the seed. 



All the seeds I have been able to 

 obtain have been too precious for plant- 

 ing and I have not eaten one, hence 

 cannot decide their value as nut-produc- 

 ing trees, yet this may be an important 

 production. When the Ginkgo becomes 

 well known it will be in great demand 

 and is certainly one of the best orna- 

 mental deciduous trees grown in any 

 country. 



Our frontispiece was supplied by 

 Judge J. M. Snyder, founder of Wash- 

 ington Souvenir-Tree League, which dis- 

 tributes seeds and plants of Washington 

 city and Alt. Vernon, and also extends 

 the following 



INVITATION. 



lu-cry person, regardless of age, sex, 

 nationality or j:)lace of residence, who 

 will, witli his or her own hands, plant 

 one or more Souvenir-Tree seeds grown 

 either in \\'ashington. D. C, or at Mt. 

 W-nion on the Potomac, is invited to 

 join the Wa.shin_gton Souvenir-Tree 

 League, an association without secrets, 

 meetings or dues, and devoted to beauti- 

 fying the homes and idealizing the lives 

 of its members, whether on farm or 

 ranch, in village or city, by each member 

 adopting and affectionately caring for 

 one or more of our beautiful tree-chil- 

 dren, offspring of the stately, long-lived 

 trees which adorn the nation's capital and 

 historic Mt. Vernon. 



So thine 07i.li hands shall plant a noble 

 tree, 



Souvenir alike of Washington and thee. 



