STREET AND HIGHWAY PLANTING. 43 



young, and most of them were in parks or lawns. Those few on the 

 streets seemed to be thriving, as did those in the parks. Further experi- 

 ence must be had before this tree can be recommended for general 

 planting. At present in some places it certainly looks promising. 

 Farther north there are many older specimens, and as the tree is quite 

 hardy it may be that it will prove even more useful in the north than 

 in the south. 



THE SILK OAK OR GREVILLEA. 



The silk oak (Grevillea robusta) is common throughout all the south, 

 and everywhere is proving a common source of trouble. When young 

 the trees have considerable beauty of form and foliage and the blos- 

 soming of the mature trees is most gorgeous. But unfortunately the 

 leaves are continuous and abundant in dropping and the wood is so 

 brittle that the tree should be cut back to stubs every year for safety's 

 sake. This proceeding inevitably ruins the specimen. Furthermore, 

 the roots have great capacity for entering the water-pipes, and once 

 in, they form dense sponge-like masses of fibrous rootlets. 



Altogether the Grevillea, while a handsome tree, demands too much 

 care to keep it in respectable condition to earn a permanent place for 

 itself on the streets. Many towns are removing it from the streets, and 

 it is to be hoped that the citizens who raise a considerable commotion 

 at ' ' the wholesale destruction ' ' will stop to think that the Grevillea has 

 habits which make it useful only in private estates where it can have 

 constant care and dense shrubbery to hide the continuous litter of the 

 falling leaves. 



This tree is reasonably hardy and may be found in good condition 

 through the northern central part of the State. But it does not do as 

 w r ell there as in the south. 



THE KENTUCKY COFFEE TREE. 



This is a common eastern deciduous tree (Gymnocladus dioica) with 

 large compound leaves and panicles of greenish-white flowers followed 

 by bulky fruits, the seeds of which have rarely been used as a substitute 

 for coffee. 



THE WALNUTS. 



The walnuts (Juglans sp.) of various species and horticultural kinds 

 are all frequently found in the parkings. Often they are the remnant 

 of some old orchard, but more frequently they are the deliberate choice 

 of the owner, who desires to derive not only shade but profit from his 

 trees. If we consider the sprawling form of young walnuts which have 

 the frequent waterings of the parking, and the fact that they attain 

 great size, and furthermore, that they or their insect visitors exude a 

 gummy substance which makes the pavement very unsightly for at 

 least two months of the year if we consider these things, we can see 



