Town Planting 91 



shrubs, has been to some extent simplified. The electrifi- 

 cation of the Underground Railway has also had a beneficial 

 effect on vegetation. Although we cannot prevent fog, 

 which is an atmospheric condition, yet much can be done 

 to prevent it being a dirty fog, and during the past five 

 years much has been done in that direction. Better roads 

 with less dust also assist largely in keeping the atmosphere 

 of London in a pure condition. 



With the rage for coniferous trees which was at its 

 height about half a century ago, it is not surprising that 

 several species of Cypress and Cedar, the stately Pines and 

 Arbor vitses, as also the Araucaria and Junipers, found 

 their way into our town gardens and squares. Hosts of 

 evergreens, too, from almost every part of the world were 

 introduced into London, but few have been able to survive 

 the smoky and otherwise impure atmosphere of the great 

 metropolis. 



Deciduous trees and shrubs, both flowering and orna- 

 mental leaved, should certainly be regarded as the cine 

 qua non of the London planter. Amongst evergreen trees 

 few are suitable for town planting, and, though a limited 

 number of evergreen shrubs may succeed for a time, yet the 

 list of deciduous species is far more extensive. We have 

 only to take notice of such evergreens as the Holly, Rhodo- 

 dendron, Laurel and all the conifers, with probably one 

 exception, to find how useless it is to plant them in expecta- 

 tion that they will give satisfaction. This is not hard to 

 account for, as in winter, when the fires are all alight and 

 smoke and soot the order of the day, the leaves of ever- 

 greens are fully developed and in the best possible condition 

 for reaping the attending disadvantages. With deciduous 

 species the case is quite different, for these are, so to speak, 

 asleep when the deadly smoke and vapours are most abun- 

 dant in our towns and cities. I am quite aware that one 

 occasionally sees evergreen shrubs and trees in a fairly 

 thriving condition ; but it should be remembered that in 

 the majority of such cases they were planted when con- 

 ditions were much more favourable than at present. 



It is, perhaps, to be regretted that evergreen shrubs 



