354 Landscape Gardening 



In this way, little by little, the Ornamental Tree Society 

 accomplishes its ends. In a few years it has the satisfaction 

 of seeing its village the pride of the citizens -- for even 

 Lhose who were the most tardy to catch the planting fever, 

 are at last - - such is the silent and irresistible influence of 

 sylvan beauty - - the loudest champions of green trees - 

 and the delight of all travellers, who treasure it up in their 

 hearts as one does a picture drawn by poets and colored by 

 the light of some divine genius. 



We heartily commend, therefore, this plan of Social Plant- 

 ing Reform to every desolate, leafless, and repulsive town 

 and village in the country. There can scarcely be one where 

 there are not three persons of taste and spirit enough to 

 organize such a society; and once fairly in operation, its 

 members will never cease to congratulate themselves on 

 the beauty and comfort they have produced, Every tree 

 which they plant, and which grows up in after years into a 

 giant trunk and grand canopy of foliage, will be a better 

 monument (though it may bear no lying inscription) than 

 many an unmeaning obelisk of marble or granite. 



Let us add a few words respecting the best trees for adorn- 

 ing the streets of rural towns and villages. With the great 

 number and variety of fine trees which flourish in this 

 country there is abundant reason for asking, "where shall we 

 choose? ' : And although we must not allow ourselves space 

 at this moment to dwell upon the subject in detail we may 

 venture two or three hints about it. 



Nothing appears to be so captivating to the mass of 

 human beings as novelty. And there is a fashion in trees 

 which sometimes has a sway no less rigorous than that of a 

 Parisian modiste. Hence while we have the finest indige- 

 nous ornamental trees in the world growing in our native 

 forests, it is not an unusual thing to see them blindly over- 

 looked for foreign species that have not half the real charms 

 and not a tenth part of the adaptation to our soil and 

 climate. 



Thirty years ago there was a general Lombardy poplar 

 epidemic. This tall and formal tree, striking and admirable 



