SHADE TREES IN CITIES. 



the second story or under it — is precisely what is most needed. A very spreading 

 tree, like the Elm, is always somewhat out of place in town, because its natural 

 habit is to extend itself laterally. A tree with the habit of the Tulip, lifts itself 

 into the finest pyramids of foliage, exactly suited to the usual width of town streets 

 — and thus embellishes and shades without darkening and encumbering them. Besides 

 this, the foliage of the Tulip tree is as clean and fresh at all times, as the bonnet of a 

 fair young quakeress, and no insect mars the purity of its rich foliage. 



"We know very well that the Tulip tree is considered difficult to transplant. It is, 

 the gardeners will tell you, much easier to plant Ailanthuses, or, if you prefer. Ma- 

 ples. Exactly, so it is easier to walk than to dance — but as all people who wish to 

 be graceful in their gait learn to dance (if they can get an opportunity,) so all plan- 

 ters who wish a peculiarly elegant tree, will learn how to plant the Liriodendron. 

 In the first place the soil must belight and rich — better than is at all necessai-y for 

 the Maples — and if it camwt cannot be made light and rich, then the planter must 

 confine himself to Maples. Next, the tree must be transplanted just about the time 

 of commencing its growth in the spring, and the roots must be cut as little as pos- 

 sible, and not suffered to get dnj till replanted. 



There is one point which, if attended to as it is in nurseries abroad, would render 

 the tulip tree as easily transplanted as a maple or a poplar. We mean the practice 

 of cutting round the tree every year in the nursery till it is removed. This developes 

 a ball of fibres, and so prepares the tree for the removal that it feels no shock at all.* 

 Nurserymen could well afford to grow Tulip trees to the size suitable for street plant- 

 ing, and have them twice cut or removed before hand, so as to enable them to war- 

 rant their growth in any good soil, for a dollar a piece. (And we believe the average 

 price at which the thousands of noisome Ailanthus that now infest our streets, have 

 been sold is above a dollar.) No buyer pays so much and so willingly, as the citizen 

 who has only one lot front, and five dollars each has been no uncommon price in New- 

 York for " trees of heaven." 



After our nurserymen have practiced awhile this preparation of the Tulip trees for 

 the streets by previous removals, they will gradually find a demand for the finer oaks, 

 beeches, and other trees now considered difficult to transplant for the same cause — and 

 about which there is no difficulty at all, if this precaution is taken. Any body can 

 catch "suckers" in a still pond, but a trout must be tickled with dainty bait. Yet 

 true sportsmen do not, for this reason, prefer angling with worms about the margin of 

 stagnant pools, when they can whip the gold spangled beauties out of swift streams 

 with a little skill and preparation, and we trust that in future no true lover of trees 

 will plant " suckers" to torment his future days and sight, when he may, with a little 

 more pains, have the satisfaction of enjoying the shade of the freshest and comliest of 

 American forest trees. 



* In many coiilinental nurseries, this an)iual preparation in the nursery, takes place until fruit trees of bearing size 

 can be removed without the slightest injury to the crop of the same year. 



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