234 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



SAVED BY UNIQUE TREATMENT OF CURBING 



This beautiful Japonica was left in its original position, 

 the curbing being diverted to meet its requirements. 



tree. Furthermore, it is the largest around Philadel- 

 l)hia and possibly in this country. The trunk meas- 

 ures three feet in diameter and the branches spread 

 over an area of seventy feet. It may have been 

 planted by the late Robert Buist, whose nurseries 

 were not far from the home of John Bartram, who 

 found and introduced that rare and beautiful flow- 

 ering tree, Gordonia pubescc^ns, or Franklin tree. 

 The writer discovered this large Sophora when the 

 street of which it is now a part was about to be 

 opened, and recommended its preservation. The 

 many stubs shown throughout the tree are evidence 

 of its previous neglect, but since the photograph was 

 taken these have been removed in a thorough prun- 

 ing and the tree is likely to live for many years, af- 

 fording a grateful shade for the occupants of these 



homes which have sprung up 

 about it. The bloom, too, will 

 delight for it comes in large 

 panicles, white, peashaped, 

 and in midsummer when trees 

 in flower are scarce. 



These are but a few in- 

 stances of the measures taken 

 to protect street trees in Phil- 

 adelphia since the Fairmount 

 Park Commission assumed 

 their control in 191 2 by virtue 

 of an Act of Assembly. In 

 that year a systematic street 

 tree census was taken, plotting 

 and recording 127,300 trees, 

 with information which has 

 since been of infinite value in 

 executing the trust of a tree 

 loving city. Trees mean much 

 toward a "City Beautiful," 

 and with their worth recog- 

 nized no city or town should 

 be without its Shade Tree 

 Commission or Tree Warden. 



CURBING OMITTED THIS IS OFTEN DONE 



This old horse chestnut stood directly in the way of the curb, so 



the curb was omitted, in deference to its age and dignity ! 



