152 TREES AND SHRUBS 



without seeing many a street or waste space or 

 corner where a row or a group or even a single 

 tree would not add immensely to both beauty and 

 comfort. Where there is plenty of width, and espe- 

 cially where houses fall back a little from the road, 

 the trees may well stand just within the edge of the 

 footpath or pavement. Should there be still more 

 width, there may be a row in the middle of the 

 road. In this case the middle row of trees should 

 not be quite evenly continuous, but perhaps five or 

 six trees and then a gap, formed by leaving out one 

 tree, in order to allow the traffic to move from side 

 to side of the road. In many a town where a street 

 runs north-east and south-west, a row of trees on 

 its south-western side only might be an inestimable 

 boon. 



Even in country villages there is often a bare 

 place, especially where roads meet, where a few 

 trees well planted and a plain strong oak bench 

 would be a comfort and a pleasure to many hard- 

 working folk, and might be the means of converting 

 unsightliness into beauty. 



For towns the Plane has the best character, but 

 other good trees are Wych Elm and Hornbeam, 

 Sycamore, Maple, Lime, Lombardy Poplar, and 

 Horse Chestnut. The spreading growth of the 

 Horse Chestnut commends it rather for a space 

 like the place of a foreign town. Here is also the 

 place for Limes, for though they are good street 

 trees, yet when in bloom the strong, sweet scent, 

 although a passing whiff is delicious, might be an 



