STREET SHADE TREES-BEFORE AND AFTER 



By W. R. Mattoon 



APPARENT DESECRATION, WHICH 



Appearance of the sycamore trees along Eleventh street, after the first season 

 of growth following their severe heading-back. The foliage during this first sea- 

 son had looked decidedly scraggy. (Photograph taken in January, 1921.) 



they were told to be jjatient for a lit- 

 tle and all would be well. 



The correctness of the prediction is 

 here well illustrated. During the first 

 growing season (1920) the trees sent 

 out numerous sprouts which, how- 

 ever, did not make much of a showing 

 or give much promise of what might 

 be expected. In one of the accomp- 

 anying figures is shown the appear- 

 ance of a portion of Eleventh street 

 at the end of the second season of 

 growth following the trimming. The 

 picture also gives a good idea of the 

 shape of the individual trees. 



More beautiful rows of street trees 

 than those which now decorate 

 Eleventh street could hardly be 

 found. The trees are symmetrical in 

 shape and strikingly uniform in size, 

 and the residents are happy in living 

 on a street Imed with some of the 

 most beautiful trees in the city. 



npHE progress of a very successful 

 * operation in trimming street trees 

 is shown in the accompanying photo- 

 graphs. Eleventh Street, N. W., 

 Washington, D. C, is lined with na- 

 tive American sycamores, or button- 

 balls. They were planted probably 

 about 50 years ago and by 1919 had 

 become so large as to shut out much 

 sunlight and air from the residences. 

 Their appearance was irregular, as 

 some trees had outstripped their 

 neighbors. Some idea of their for- 

 mer size may be had by noting the 

 main trunks and stubs in one of the 

 accompanying figures. 



The District authorities severely 

 headed-back the trees in the early 

 spring of 1920, and a vigorous pro- 

 test went up from some of the prop- 

 erty owners and various other resi- 

 dents of Washington, who thought 

 the beauty of this prominent street 

 had been forever spoiled. In reply. 



PROVED TO BE SALVATION TO THE OLD SYCAMORES 



Eleventh street as it appeared toward the close of the second season following the 

 trimming. Rows of trees of striking symmetry of outline and uniformity of size 

 line both sides of the street and make this one of the most attractive and beautiful 

 streets of Washington. (Photograph taken in early October, 1921.) 



