SELECTION OF TREES FOR STREET USE 7 



space between the trees for the admission of light and the 

 free circulation of air. Other elements that contribute to the 

 making of the ideal street have not been overlooked. Each 

 tree has a neat and substantial guard that effectively pro- 

 tects it from harm, and these guards contribute their share 

 to the beauty of the street by being all alike. There is also 

 evidence that the trees have been judiciously pruned, for no 

 low and drooping branches obstruct the vista of the street. 

 Good judgment has been exercised in the selection of the 

 tree for this model street. The system of branching is 

 pleasing, and there is symmetry in its general outline ; the 

 head is well filled, being neither too open nor too compact ; 

 there is the necessary strength in the branches to sustain 

 their own weight, and the leaves remain in a healthy condi- 

 tion till they are ready to fall in the autumn. The perspec- 

 tive of a street, as shown in the frontispiece, is strikingly 

 beautiful at all seasons of the year, when the trees are bare 

 of foliage or when they are in blossom or in leaf. 



QUALITIES THAT STREET-TREES SHOULD POSSESS 



From a natural standpoint every tree is interesting: the 

 outline, the mode of branching, the bark, the leaf, the 

 flower, and the fruit are all worth studying. Considered 

 from the standpoint of adaptability for street-planting, a 

 tree must possess certain characteristics to be desirable. 



Hardiness. In the first place it must be hardy and capa- 

 ble of withstanding the unfavorable conditions of city life ; 

 such as those of poor soil, heat, drought, smoke, and dust. 

 Street-trees are usually unprotected from heavy storms, and 

 they should have strength to resist winds, sleet, and snow. 

 They should possess the ability to endure transplanting 

 well, and be easily propagated. 



