158 TIIK I'AIJKS AND GAKDKNS OF PARIS. [Cum.. X. 



It is very unwise to persist in planting such a tree so largely 

 as we do when there are various deciduous trees that will do all 

 that a Lime does at the best of times, and that have none of its 

 drawbacks. Our winter, the period when our deciduous trees 

 must be devoid of leaves, is long enough without making it 

 needlessly so by lining every street with the Lime. In the parks 

 this tree may sometimes be planted, but never in streets, quays, 

 or boulevards. Apart from its presenting a diseased appearance 

 for more than half the time that it ought to be full of green life, 

 the Lime grows much too large for the little front gardens where 

 it is so abundantly employed, and will soon deprive of a large share 

 of light and sun the house it is planted to adorn. 



The Elm is a tree much used in the London parks, and some- 

 times seen of fine dimensions, but occasionally it is much diseased 

 when used as an avenue-tree — for example, in the Mall, in St. 

 James's Park, where the effect of the avenue-planting is as bad as 

 it can be. A few Plane-trees near the Buckingham Palace end of 

 the Mall almost save it from looking absolutely hideous from that 

 point of view. The effect of the Elms in Piotten Eow, though 

 much better, is not nearly so good as may be produced in like 

 positions by using other trees. The variety chosen has a good 

 deal to do with it — the long Boulevard St. Michel, in Paris, planted 

 with the large-leaved Elm, is a success. 



Paulownia imperialis is a very noble subject for town-gardens, 

 especially so for those on a dry soil like Paris, and where a good 

 shading-medium is wanted. It might well replace some of the 

 miles of poor clipped Elms and Limes about Paris and around 

 numbers of French country-houses. The stems of the trees are 

 straight, and just about the right elevation for a shade-giving 

 tree, and the heads spread out flat, so as to give comj)lete shade 

 without betraying an awkward tendency to rise too high and 

 require clipping to prevent them from keeping the light from the 

 windows. The large leaves are quite fresh in autumn. The 

 Paulownia, the Ailantus, and the Plane seem to preserve freshness 

 and vigour no matter how great the heat or abundant the dust. 

 The forest-trees of our own latitudes do not do this, but become 

 withered while their companions from Japan and America are in 

 the greenest health. It is not easy to imagine a greater improve- 

 ment than that which would be effected by planting this tree 



