i28 TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 



useless through the action of the elements. In other 

 instances, one will find labels which confine themselves 

 to scientific names, quite out of reach of the everyday 

 citizen. It is hard to picture the school child or the casual 

 park visitor growing enthusiastic upon reading a label 

 which solemnly proclaims a tree to be "Ulmus Americana" 

 On the other hand, there is something definite and satis- 

 fying in a label showing the tree to be a good, old-fash- 

 ioned American Elm, of the type made immortal by the 

 poets and holding deathless place in the pages of American 

 history through association with men and events of 

 distinguished memory. Liquidambar styraciflua hamameli- 

 dacece would leave the average person unmoved and 

 unimpressed, but Sweet Gum is a name known to all of 

 us and well calculated to cause a feeling as of a handshake 

 with an old friend. 



To give labels their true educational worth their use 

 should be systematic and uniform. They should include 

 all the trees of the community, whether in parks, on 

 squares or on the streets. They should be in simple form, 

 easily read and durable. The information given on each 

 label should be suited to both student and layman. To 

 cover these various points involves: 



i. Centralized action by municipal authorities or by joint 

 undertaking on the part of individual property owners. 



2. Labels of such material and design as will insure perma- 



nent legibility. 



3. Information covering the common name of each tree, 



its scientific name, and the part of the world to which 

 it is native, as for example: "Norway Maple, {Acer 

 platanoides), Europe." 



The National Capital has undertaken to set an exam- 

 ple of effective shade tree labelling. In line with sugges- 

 tions that the park trees of the District of Columbia 



