STREET AND HIGHWAY PLANTING. 47 



be decided upon the ground. As the tree is very hardy and withstands 

 considerable drought when once established, it may be used through a 

 large range of territory from the north to the south throughout the 



State. 



THE JAPANESE PRIVET. 



This privet (Ligustrum lucidum) (Fig. 18) is the one chiefly found. 

 At best it is but a small tree. The foliage is evergreen ; the leaves are 

 large, oval, and of a dark green color, which is often disfigured as the 

 leaves seem to hold the dust very badly. This fact, and the fact that the 

 large panicles of greenish white flowers turn a dingy reddish-brown 

 on fading, gives the plant a very untidy appearance at certain seasons 

 of the year. The flowers have a sickly sweet fragrance, which is not 

 strong but which proves very unpleasant to many people, and are fol- 

 lowed later in the summer by dark blue berries which are not unsightly. 



Figure 18. 



If this tree is used, care should be taken in selecting nursery stock 

 which has an unbranched leader for at least seven or eight feet, as the 

 head is formed very low after branching begins. Constant care should 

 be given to prevent the growth of suckers, as these develop with amazing 

 rapidity and soon spoil the shape of the tree. On account of its shape 

 this tree needs a wide parking and should not be planted where heavy 

 shade is desired, as the tree is not of particularly rapid growth when 

 kept to a single leader, although it eventually forms a tree of some size, 

 which at maturity will give abundant shade. 



THE SWEET GUM. 



The sweet gum (Liquidartibar styraciflua) (Fig. 19) is a native of the 

 eastern states and is not often found in this State. So far as was noted 

 there were no large specimens to be found. All of the young trees 

 seemed vigorous and in good form, and it would be well to keep this 

 species in mind for future work. The specimens particularly in mind 

 were at Monrovia, others at San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, Ukiah, and 

 Chico. 



The tree is deciduous, of very good habit, bearing five-lobed leaves of 

 a somewhat star-like form, of a good green color which in the east takes 



