a 



TKEES FOE STREETS AKD ATEZlsUES. 



however, a sort of leanness, that strikes us even in tlie finest old specimens ; owinof to 

 a thinness of foliage, that compares badly -with the rich, luxuriant, tufty leafage of 

 the sugar maple. The silver maple bids fair to become the most extensively planted, 

 on account of its rapid growth. In new, treeless streets and villages, rajnd groioth is 

 an argument too powerful to be resisted, especially in a community where there exists 

 an active rivalry as to who shall produce the greatest results in the shortest period 

 of time. Villages spring up and acquire importance in a year or two; and trees to 

 correspond, must be none of those that grow by inches. 



The x^orway Maple is a fine tree, closely resembling our sugar maple in all impor- 

 tant particulars, and grows much at the same rate ; probably, as a general thino-, not 

 so fast. 



The European Linden is an old favorite for streets and avenues, and it really 

 possesses many of the most important requisites for such uses. It has a straight 

 clean trunk, a compact head, abundant foliage, and flowers exquisitely sweet. In the 

 day when old-fashioned, straight-lined, geometrical gardening flourished, the linden 

 occupied a pre-eminent position in Europe ; but in the modern style it is not much 

 used. Some years ago it was much planted in our large cities, but it has latterly 

 been thrown in the back ground by the ailantus. Wherever it is not affected seri- 

 ously with diseases or insects, it deserves to be planted ; but it is so attacked by 

 borers in Western New York, as to be worthless. Out of several hundred trees 

 planted ten or twelve years ago, very few now survive or flourish ; borers attacked 

 them, and they have been blown down. There are many varieties among the Euro- 

 pean lindens. We have seen some with reddish twigs, lai-ge leaves, and decided 

 pyramidal heads, far superior in vigor and beauty to the common sort, and as far as 

 we can judge from a few cases, less liable to the attacks of the borer. 



The American Linden, (Basswood,) we regard, however, as equal to the best Euro- 

 pean varieties, and quite superior to the common one, for street trees. It is of more 

 robust growth, has a cleaner, smoother trunk, and larger foliage, with flowers of 

 almost equal sweetness. It is easily grovra, and can be successfully transplanted at 

 any age. It is in our opinion one of the most ornamental and aj^propriate street and 

 avenue trees in the catalogue. 



The American White and Black Ash, and the common European Ash, are all well 

 adapted to street and avenue planting ; but of these three species we must prefer our 

 white. It is a noble, erect tree, and far superior to the others in beauty of foliage. 

 There is a certain expression, lightness, ease, and gi-ace, characteristic of the ash, that 

 give it distinct claims upon our attention — more particularly when it is employed in 

 the formation of the landscape. It grows rapidly, is cleanly, and may be trans- 

 planted successfully when of large size. Its roots are remarkably fibrous, and do 

 not extend a great distance. The black ash has the disadvantage of being more 

 liable to those black excrescences, that greatly disfigure it for ornamental purposes. 



The Beech is a noble tree, and among all the others, none, we think, forms so impen- 

 etrable shade and shelter. What superb specimens there are to be found in our open 

 fields, where the woodman's axe has not dared to strike them ! Who can look upon 



m::^^' 



