DECIDUOUS TREES 103 



growing and effective, on account of the shape of its 

 great leaves, has an ungainly appearan ce that counts 

 against it. One large-growing ash there is that appar- 

 ently continues free from disease and other drawbacks 

 which render many other ashes unsatisfactory on the 

 lawn, and that is fraxinus Americana, the America n 

 whit e ash . Its fo liage is rich gre en, and in form it is 

 sy mmetrica l. It does better here than the European 

 species. The European larch is charming in its early 

 growth, but later on in summer it often grows rusty. 



One of the most picturesq ue and generally valuable 

 shade__trees is the odd-looking American species, with 

 glossy, s tar-shaped leave s, turn inp^ red in autu mn, and 

 surmounting a rough-barked, attractive trunk , and bear- 

 ing the euphonious, smooth-sounding name, l iquid amber . 

 It is not rapid in growth , nor^es pecially easy to transpla nt, 

 but it eventually d evelops into a lar ge tree, and affords 

 agr eeable shad e al ong any roa d on which it may be 

 planted. 



Poets have many times sung the praises of the dainty 

 and graceful white birch . " the lady of the woo ds,'' so 

 we ^\ill confine ourselves strictly to its practical advan- 

 tages for the lawn. Being of medium size, its somewhat 

 pointed and verj marked contour serves well to vary the 

 sky line of any group of trees and shrubs, and in winter, 

 or against a background of evergreens at all seasons, the 

 white stem makes one of the most notable effects in the 

 landscape. The birch is a capricious tree in many ways. 

 It \\ill t ake a fancy and stop growing, and then start in 

 and grow rapidly, and again it will occa sionally die unac- 

 countably, and in transplanting it will also act queerly 

 at times. The best time to plant it is in early;, not late, 

 spiiSK' ^^^ surely not in fal l, although the reader can 



