162 The Ottawa Naturalist. [March 



most unattractive streets in Ottawa, and to plant them as 

 well. Circulars to this effect were sent to every resident, but 

 the movement was not popular, the people did not wish the 

 planting done, the main reason given being that if their places 

 were made more attractive the assessment would be raised, 

 and if the assessment were raised the rent would be raised. 

 Whether their fears were well grounded or not we do not know. 

 The shrubs and vines were planted, but planted about public 

 buildings in Ottawa, not private residences. There are some 

 well planted private places in Ottawa, but not nearly as many 

 as there might be. 



In 1909, a by-law was prepared by the Ottawa Horticul- 

 tural Society and submitted to the City Hall, by which tree 

 planting and tree mutilation were to be regulated through a 

 Tree Inspector, under the City Engineer. The planting of 

 certain kinds of trees was to be prohibited, the distance apart 

 of the trees was to be limited, and there were many other 

 good features of the proposed by-law. It was, however, not 

 passed. 



When will there be greater uniformity in the planting of 

 shade trees on the streets of Ottawa? At present anyone 

 plants what he pleases, and there may be a hundred kinds of 

 trees on one street for all that is done to prevent it. Ottawa 

 has much to learn from some of the prairie towns in this re- 

 pect. There the city, not the individual, plants the trees, and 

 plants a whole street with one or two kinds, with the result 

 that instead of a himdred species, more or less, of trees of all 

 ages, there is uniformity, with a much more pleasing effect. 



As an example, take Clemow Avenue, where the uniformity 

 of the avenue of elms is most pleasing, although later on they 

 will be much too close for best effect, unless thinned. What 

 an improvement this is over the planting on many of the streets 

 of Ottawa! 



A Civic Improvement League for Canada was recently 

 organized, and no doubt, some day before long we shall have 

 a branch in Ottawa. It can do good work by getting an im- 

 proved by-law under which our trees shall be properly planted 

 and cared for. Ottawa, as the capital of the Dominion, should 

 be the most beautiful city in Canada, and soine day it may be. 

 Much has been done to make it attractive, but much remains 

 to be done. The fact that it is situated where the climat^'is 

 rather cold does not prevent the use of many attractive orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs, and few cities in America are so 

 fortunate as to have in their vicinity such a collection of trees 

 and shrubs as is to be found at the Experimental Farm, where 

 their merits may be studied before planting is done in the city. 



