BEST VARIETIES OF TREES FOR STREET PLANTING. 107 
uniform top, and in place of winged seeds, like the elm, it has drupes, or 
cherry seed, that remain on the tree nearly all winter. The hackberry will 
grow on the poorest, most arid soils, but flourishes best in rich and moist 
ground. It is a very straight, symmetrical growing tree, very well adapted 
to street and ornamental planting. 
The maples, of the genus Acer, are very common trees, well adapted 
to street planting when properly cared for by close pruning when young. 
These trees are not as popular with a large proportion of tree planters as 
the white elm, but when quick effect is desired they are very useful. The 
commonest species is the red, or swamp, maple (Acer rubrum). This and 
the white maple (Acer dasycarpum) and the sugar maple (Acer sacchari- 
num) are the principal trees of this species that are useful for street plant- 
ing; more especially the latter is used for parks and home grounds. The 
red maple is often called white maple, and the two trees are frequently 
confounded, but they are easily distinguished by the young twigs—one turns 
red, the other green—and by the silvery whiteness of the under side of the 
leaves of the true white maple. They are easily propagated from seed, mak- 
ing a rapid growth when young. Proper pruning must be given to guard 
against crotches or long branches, which are often broken by strong winds. 
For planting in the prairie country no tree is more highly prized than this, 
as by its fast growth it gives a quick return in valuable fuel. 
The most valuable of all the species is the sugar maple for domestic 
uses. This tree when young is very symmetrical, and with age takes on dif- 
ferent forms of growth, some of which are very pleasing to the view. It 
is better adapted to ornamental than street planting. It requires a deep, 
rich soil, not subject to drouths, to give it its most beautiful outline and 
majestic growth. Old trees of this and other varieties often commence dying 
(like old men) at the top, but by severely cutting back the main trunk 
and shortening in the remaining branches new growths are encouraged, 
which renews the vigor of the tree. Many times valuable old decaying trees 
are by this means saved or their lives prolonged, which, if left unpruned, 
would in a few years become unsightly, and only fit subjects for the wood 
pile. On the west shore of Wayzata bay at Lake Minnetonka, is a striking 
example of the effect of this kind of treatment of old trees. There is a large 
sugar maple that the Hon. C. M. Loring, of park renown, had cut back, and 
by a little care in pruning and shaping the young growth, the tree has 
become flat on top, its branches broadening out, making it one of the finest 
specimen trees on the shores of this beautiful lake. 
The Linden, or basswood (Tilia americana), is very much preferred for 
street planting to the European linden (Tilia europea). It is not a very pop- 
ular tree at the present time, on account of its foliage being eaten by cater- 
pillars, which gives the tree a ragged appearance. Our native linden is well 
adapted to park and boulevard planting, where variety of leaf and form of 
outline are desired. Its foliage is dense, and it resists our hot summers 
better than the European linden. It is usually propagated from seed, but 
by some it is layered or mounded, and when the young shoots are rooted 
they are detached from the original tree and planted in the nursery for de- 
velopment. 
The white ash (Fraxinus americana) and gray, or blue, ash (Fraxinus 
quadrangulata) are quite popular for shade and ornamental purposes. These 
trees are easily transplanted and need little care in pruning to form a sym- 
metrical, well balanced top. They prefer shady, moist soils for their best 
