Summer Meeting. 93 



As is well kiiuwii, the pride uf the Ljcnnan Enipcrui' and ui all 

 Berlin is the famous drive and walk "Unter den Linden," although the 

 trees do not appear so very imposing to Americans used to the towering 

 forest growths of this country. The European Linden thrives well in 

 every part of Missouri. Its foliage is more delicate and glossy and its 

 habit of growth handsomer than in our native species, and, so far as it 

 has come under my observation, it is a perfectly hardy tree. In my 

 native city in Germany, I well remember a beautiful linden allee or walk, 

 where no driving was allowed. Abutting against one end was a longer 

 one shaded by horse chestnuts which, when in flower with their pinkish 

 spikes of bloom, each about a foot long, resembled nothing so much as 

 a German Christmas tree, with hundreds of lighted candles. This was 

 a lovers trysting place and, as it was open to the public, needless to say 

 it was much frequented by the youths and maidens of the city. 



The white ash {Fraxinus Aincricana) should not be overlooked in 

 making a selection of trees for planting. It is handsome in form and 

 foliage, and of quite rapid growth and has but few insects enemies. For 

 rapid growth and beauty of foliage the soft or silver maple {Acer dasy- 

 carpiim) has deservedly many admirers and in many towns is the most 

 numerous of all the street and lawn trees. When planted to a good depth 

 and in rich. soil its shade does not kill out the grass, a.j is a prevailing 

 objection to it, nor until it is very old does it throw out the brace roots 

 so near the surface of the ground as to be objectionable. 



The Ailanthus, introduced into this country from China more than 

 a half century ago, and only objectionable on account of the ill smell- 

 ing pollen from the staminate blossoms, is of such quick growth and 

 such great endurance of unfavorable conditions that it ought not to 

 be omitted from any list of city shade trees. The pistillate trees are 

 really very handsome with their tropical looking leaves and rose tinted 

 blossoms and winged seeds, and were there any characters by which 

 they could be distinguished, when young, from the male trees, would 

 deserve a prominent place in this list. 



The sycamore or plane tree (Platanus occidentalis) although grow- 

 ing naturally along river bottoms and rich low lands, adapts itself readily 

 to city conditions, where it in a very few years affords ample shade to 

 sidewalks. The principal objection to this tree is the sensitiveness of 

 its foliage to frost either late in spring or early in the fall. This causes 

 the leaves to drop unseasonably and litter the sidewalks and lawns. 



Here and there in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa we still see rows of 

 Lombardy poplars. I confess I like them, especially in the country, as 

 land marks. It is true they hug themselves so closely with a noli me 



