96 HOW TO PLAN THE HOME GROUNDS 



of the tree, early decay sets in. Its form, at its best, 

 is seldom specially symmetrical or graceful. Having no 

 really remarkable characteristics, it is less attractive and 

 valuable than some of the quick-growing, short-lived 

 poplars which have, without question, striking forms and 

 fine foliage. 



Many soft- wooded, rapid-growing trees become popular 

 just because, by tneir employment, the desirable landscape 

 effect can be quickly obtained. This quickly-obtained 

 effect has doubtless advantages that we cannot afford to 

 disregard, but there is a great difference between rapid- 

 growing trees, and it behooves us to see that our selec- 

 tion does not include brittle, early-decaying soft-wooded 

 trees, like the weeping or Babylonian willow and the 

 silver maple. The effective Oriental plane tree and 

 the American elm, on the other hand, are also rapid- 

 growing trees, but at the same time long lived and clean 

 and solid in structure. 



Chief among the most interesting and choice maples 

 are the various forms and colors of the endless varieties 

 of the Japanese maple polymorphum. Generally these 

 maples are small, not larger than a shrub, and in some 

 cases they are actually dwarf. They are popular with 

 the Japanese, and appear frequently in the designs of their 

 artists. Other excellent maples from Japan are of large 

 size, but they are so rare in the nurseries that they can 

 hardly be said to form a part of our lawn-planting mate- 

 rial. There is a Tartarian maple, and also an English field 

 maple (acer campestre), both of which are valuable on the 

 lawn, owing to their comparatively small size and pictur- 

 esque and, in the case of the former, fine autumn foliage. 



The American elm, as we have just pointed out, affords 

 an illustration of a soft-wooded rapid-growing tree that 



