28 SHADE-TREES IN TOWNS AND CITIES 



trees make an admirable windbreak. On the street they give 

 little shade. While the tree grows very rapidly, it is short- 

 lived, and hence it is only in extremely special cases that its 

 use as a street-tree is advisable. 



THE OAKS 



While on the one hand there seems to be a general 

 desire to plant rapidly growing trees, such as the soft 

 maple and the Carolina poplar, there is, on the other, a pop- 

 ular notion that the oaks are "slow growers," and for that 

 reason officials sometimes meet with opposition when they 

 attempt to plant these trees. On closer study, however, it 

 will be found that the oaks recommended for street-plant- 

 ing grow as rapidly as the hard maples and are some of the 

 best shade-trees for cities. They are strong, durable, and 

 beautiful, and have practically no insect enemies. Some of 

 the finest streets of Eastern cities are planted with oaks. 

 Some of the streets of Flushing, Long Island, admirably 

 illustrate what municipal authorities try to accomplish, 

 namely the uniform planting of one species of tree on a 

 street. There are many examples in that city of thorough- 

 fares set with elms and maples, but the finest in appearance 

 are the streets of pin oaks. Of all species planted in the 

 city of Washington, the oaks make the finest appearance and 

 produce the most striking effect on a street. There are in 

 all about five miles of streets planted with pin oaks in that 

 city, the finest stretch being half a mile long on East Penn- 

 sylvania Avenue, between Eleventh Street and the eastern 

 branch of the Potomac. 



Rapidity of growth is not the most desirable character- 

 istic of a shade-tree. Besides, the terms rapid growth and 

 slow growth are only relative. On comparison it will be 



