TREE PLANTING ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. l8l 



the beautiful trees planted by village improvement societies. It is said that Paris 

 has 80,000 shade trees, and that $60,000 are expended annually in caring for them 

 and planting additional ones. Both Washington and Paris have nurseries in which 

 seedlings of desirable species are propagated with special reference to the require- 

 ments of street planting. Poorly developed plants or saplings are discarded, and 

 only the straight, thrifty ones are selected for use on the city streets. 



In street planting care should be exercised to select species which, when fully 

 grown, will be of a size suitable to the width of the street ; and in making a 

 choice only such should be selected as are best adapted to the peculiar conditions 

 which influence their growth in cities. Some trees that can be safely used for road 

 planting in the country are too susceptible to the deleterious influences of the 

 smoke, dust, gas, and pavement of our towns. 



Along country roads or village streets, saplings transplanted from some neigh- 

 boring grove or forest may be set out ; but for city streets nursery stock alone 

 should be used. In fact, it would be better to buy nursery trees for village planting 

 also, unless compelled to use the other for economical reasons. If one must go to 

 the forest for young trees, pains should be taken to obtain as straight, thrifty and 

 perfect specimens as possible. 



Selection of 3pecies. 



In making a choice the first thing to be considered is the width of the street ; 

 also, the width of the sidewalk or nearness of the houses. Some trees, the Elm 

 for instance, will injure the foundation walls of a house by the pressure from its far- 

 spreading roots. Where the house stands near the curb, trees with a tap root are 

 preferable. 



The following list includes all, or nearly all, the species which are desirable for 

 street planting, most of which are quite common throughout New England and the 

 Middle States. They are named in the order of their desirability, although in some 

 instances their preferment is somewhat a matter of taste, concerning which any 

 discussion would be a waste of time. 



Wide streets. Narrow streets. 



American or White Elm. Norway Maple. 



Hard or Sugar Maple. White or Silver Maple. 



Tulip Tree. Red Maple. 



Basswood (Linden). Ailanthus. 



Horse Chestnut. Cucumber Tree. 



