300 Trees for Shade and Ornament 



especially for stately avenues and wide streets. The scanty branch 

 system can to some degree be improved upon by proper pruning. It 

 has a long leaf period but no attractive coloring, and it is rather uncleanly 

 because of shedding its bark. It is adapted to most soils, even wet ones 

 (a swamp and overflow tree), and is very light-needing; it transplants 

 easily. 



P. oricntalis Linn. (260), the European Plane-tree, is verj' much like 

 the former, except that it is later in leafing, and with two fruit-balls 

 from one stem; somewhat denser foliage; more compact habit and pos- 

 sibly whiter skin; is free from fungus troubles, but less hardy. 



P. Wrightii Wats. (261), from Arizona, is superior in the shape of 

 its deeply indented foliage and deserves trial in southern planting. 



P. cuneata Willd. (262) and acerij'olia Willd. (263) and some varieties 

 of these have no particular points of superiority. 



POPLARS 



Populus. This widely distributed genus of some twenty-five species, 

 of which eleven are indigenous to North America, is composed of tall 

 to small trees, of very rapid growth. They are among the most light- 

 needing and most frugal species, adapted to all kinds of soils, the driest 

 as well as the wettest, but thrive best on well-watered ones, — the tall 

 trees are indeed greedy for water. Tolerably healthy and without 

 troubles, except that some sucker undesirably. They are most easily 

 transplanted, and most of them hardy. 



The name indicates the popularity as a widely planted tree, on account 

 of the ease of its propagation (planting of poles or cuttings), and the 

 rapidity of its growth. They have also certain valuable ornamental 

 features, the light shade they give, and the lively aspect of their motile 

 foliage, quivering in the slightest breeze. 



They are to be used with moderation, mainly in single specimens 

 along watercourses and wet meadows, near houses, on avenues, where 

 their formal monotony is not objectionable, for highways and as accent 

 trees. 



P. deltoidea Marsh. (264) (monilifera or canadensis), Cottonwood, is 

 the largest, a native of widest range and also one of the most ornamen- 

 tal, with its large, clean, glossy foliage, moving in every breeze; with the 

 longest leaf period, its foliage coming early and staying late, turning 

 pale yellow in the fall. It is a good street tree, as it does not sucker 



