Town Planting 93 



tive to vegetation of almost every description. This 

 also applies to our squares, terraces, and open grounds 

 around houses, the soil of which is little other than refuse 

 building materials, and mainly composed of broken bricks 

 and stones, gravel, old mortar, iron, wood and shavings. 

 In such a medium it is perfectly useless to look for that 

 healthy and vigorous growth which is so essential in street 

 trees, that are still further handicapped by having to do 

 battle above ground with the impurities of a town atmo- 

 sphere. 



Having for a number of years had to plant trees and 

 shrubs in many parts of London, it was found that in nearly 

 every instance substituting good soil for that found natur- 

 ally was a first necessity. Many failures in street planting 

 from this neglect of providing suitable soil could be pointed 

 out, the result being that a section of the public has become 

 tired of the subject in consequence of the initial expense 

 and subsequent failures. Too often, also, the important 

 operations of preparing the ground and planting the trees 

 are left in the hands of the surveyor or builder, who has 

 little or no knowledge to fit him for the work, the operation 

 being carried out by labourers who are also entirely ignorant 

 of what is required or the conditions necessary for successful 

 tree and shrub culture. The consequence is that failure 

 is almost certain, and the trees which were strong and 

 healthy when planted gradually become unhealthy and 

 ultimately succumb to a combination of circumstances 

 which were brought about by the ignorance of the operators. 



Another source of failure in street planting is the generally 

 pent-up condition of the roots, for in several cases that have 

 come under our notice lately the planter seemed to think 

 that it was quite enough to cut a small hole in the pavement 

 or street of sufficient size to hold the roots of the tree to be 

 inserted. Were the soil free, as we find in a field, this 

 system might answer ; but where the roadway is hard as 

 iron and composed mainly of clinkers and gravel, the case 

 is totally different. Another fruitful source of failure in 

 street planting is placing the pavement in too close prox- 

 imity to the stem of the tree, and numerous instances could 



