SPECIES FOR STREET-PLANTING 27 



peration to the whole neighborhood. In June, when other 

 trees are at their best, the leaves of this tree begin to drop 

 and keep the street littered all summer until the final shed- 

 ding of the leaves in the fall. 



With so many bad habits and no redeeming traits, it is 

 little wonder that in many towns it is forbidden to plant 

 poplars and in others orders have been issued for their 

 removal. In Albany an ordinance was passed in 1871 which 

 provides that no person in that city shall plant or maintain a 

 cottonwood, and any person who allows such tree to remain 

 on his street premises is guilty of a misdemeanor, punish- 

 able by a fine of ten dollars. Pursuant to this law, which is 

 still in force, all the cottonwoods in the streets of Albany 

 were cut down. 



The "poplar habit" is a short-sighted one and an ex- 

 pensive one in the long run. Every part of the tree of this 

 species possesses some undesirable feature : the rootlets, the 

 roots, the trunk, the branches, the flower, the leaf, and the 

 fruit ; and for these reasons it is felt that there is nc other 

 tree on our streets that is so objectionable as the Carolina 

 poplar. If other trees will grow, the Carolina poplar should 

 not be planted, or, if used at all, it should be planted with 

 the plan of cutting the trees out within a few years. 



Lombardy Poplar (Populus italica Mcench). For very 

 narrow streets and sidewalks, the spire-shaped, erect form of 

 the Lombardy poplar is sometimes available. The Lombardy 

 poplar is picturesque, a single tree properly placed being 

 sometimes very effective. The tree is called the "exclama- 

 tion point" in landscape architecture. It is very tall and 

 has little spread. Its branches, of almost equal length at 

 the base and at the top of the tree, point upward at a sharp 

 angle with the trunk. When planted close together these 



