SHELDON PEAK. 



one of them in all tlu'ir unshorn liixnrianco, without adniittiufj^ that the beech is truly 

 "one of the most magnilieent objects of Cod's fair creation" i Yet we can not recom- 

 mend it for the street ; it seems too much like caging the eagle. There is something 

 about this tree, as well as the oak, that points out the open air, the free landscape, a.s 

 their proper home. Besides, they are somewhat dillicult to transplant when large, 

 and they grow moderately. "We can very well spare the beech from the streets. 



The Ailantusf Dare we speak of it ? It has had its day. Yet it possesses many 

 of the requisites of a street tree — lofty and elegant, cleanly in all respects, and so 

 rapid of growth, and so easily transplanted, as to suit the most impatient and the 

 most careless planter. If some one could propose a practicable way of getting rid of 

 the disao-reeable odor of its flowers, and the suckers from its roots, the ailantus woxdd 

 still rank among the finest for streets. Why can not the flower buds be removed 

 before opening, by means of a pair of pruning shears fixed to the end of a long polo ? 

 One reason why suc/ccrs have been in some cases so troublesome, is that many of the 

 first planted trees were suckers themselves. Seedling trees of more recent propaga- 

 tion show less of this disposition. We know hundreds of trees planted ten or fifteen 

 years, that have not as yet produced a single sucker, But let it go ; with such a 

 wealth of trees as we have, we can afl'ord to be discriminating and critical. 



The two trees which we regard as the finest of all our forest trees — the most beau- 

 tiful — are the Tulip Tree, (Whitewood,) and the Cucumber Tree, (Magnolia acumi- 

 nata) The whole world does not produce two deciduous trees that surpass them in 

 stateliness and symmetry of form, in ample foliage and superb flov;ers ; but unfortu- 

 nately both are most difficult to transplant, and especially so at that age and size 

 necessar)'- for a street tree ; and neither of them, on this account, can ever be so 

 employed to any considerable extent. 



We have said more on this subject than we intended ; and having said so much, it 

 is almost needless for us to give a list of the twelve best deciduous trees for streets. 

 We do not know that we could select twelve worthy of being recommended for such 

 a purpose. For our own planting in the north, we should choose from the following : 

 Sugar Majile, Silver Maple, Horse Chestnut, American Linden, American White or 

 Weeping Elm, English Elm, and White Ash. Lawn trees we shall speak of hereafter. 



THE SHELDON PEAR.* 



This pear has for some years past attracted considerable attention in Western Xew 

 York. It has been brought into the Rochester market, from the neighboring town of 

 Penfield, and sold sometimes as Brown Beurre, and at other times as Osivego Beurre. 

 Nearly all that have been brought in every year, have been purchased by one gentle- 

 man, at much above the usual price for the best varieties, because he esteemed it the 

 best pear he ever saw or had on his table ; and this gentleman is familiar with the 

 Scckcl, Wliite Doyenne, and other pears of the highest quality. In 1849 it was exlii- "S 



* See Frontispiece. 



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