90 STREET PLANTING 



Ginkgo biloba, is too slow-growing as a rule in this country to be generally 

 recommended for streets. But its habit is perfect, it thrives in towns (for 

 very many years a tree has lived at the side of Brentford High Street, not 

 far from the gasworks), and in the autumn its foliage invariably turns a 

 lovely pale gold. Some of the southern towns with a good soil, climate, 

 and other conditions should give this tree a trial. Of the tulip tree, 

 Liriodendron Tulipifera, much the same may be said, but neither of them 

 should be planted where severe pruning would be necessary. 



The use of trees with variegated or coloured foliage in street avenues 

 might easily be overdone, and in any case is not appropriate to the dignity 

 of large thoroughfares. But in the short, quiet, side streets common to 

 the outskirts of all large towns, one can imagine bright effects being 

 produced by them. A good tree of this type is Acer Negundo var. 

 aureum, the leaves of which are wholly pale gold and the tree itself of 

 very moderate growth. Another good yellow-leaved tree is the variety of 

 Ulmus campestris known in nurseries as " Louis Van Houtte." Either of 

 these might be alternated with the purple sycamore or with the purple 

 plum, Prunus cerasifera var. atropurpurea, which gets to be 20 or 30 ft. 

 high. One of the best variegated trees is the Corstorphine plane, a variety 

 of sycamore with green and yellow leaves. There is also a very finely 

 variegated variety of common elm. Although the elm and sycamore are 

 both trees of the largest size, they stand pruning very well. (See chapter 

 on VARIEGATED TREES AND SHRUBS.) 



The ideal young street tree when it is planted should have a straight 

 sturdy trunk based by a compact, fibrous root-system, and crowned by a 

 symmetrical, pyramidal head of branches. The average street tree must 

 ultimately be clear of branches up to at least 10 ft. from the ground, 

 and at the time of planting should have a clean stem 6 to 8 ft. high. In 

 the arrangement of trees along narrow streets a certain amount of 

 space may be gained by planting them not directly opposite each other, 

 but midway between the opposite pair. 



In preparing the site for the street trees of towns, it should always 

 be remembered that their future progress is hampered by many dis- 

 advantages that their fellows in garden and park are free from, and that 

 the provision of suitable conditions at the root is never so convenient and 

 economical as at planting time. A piece of ground at least 8 ft. in 

 diameter and 2\ ft. deep should be prepared for each tree. The soil 

 should be finely broken up to that depth and, if not naturally of desirable 

 quality, a sufficient proportion of it should be changed for some of better 

 quality. Soil broken up to that depth will ultimately settle 3 ins. at least, 

 for which allowance should be made. The very important matters of 

 guarding and supporting the tree are chiefly questions of expense. 

 Nothing, perhaps, is better than a circular cage of iron, 18 ins. in 



