STREET AND HIGHWAY PLANTING. 63 



THE WILLOWS. 



Of all the willows, the old weeping willow (Salix Babylonica) is 

 perhaps the most frequent in use. Owing to the brittle nature of the 

 wood it is hardly suitable. Again, trees of weeping habit, like those 

 of colored or variegated foliage, are rather the exception in the vege- 

 table kingdom and their use on streets would be a violation of general 

 principles. 



THE PEPPER TREE. 



The pepper tree (Schinus molle) is perhaps the most common exotic 

 tree found in southern California. Everywhere one turns there is the 

 omnipresent bright green foliage of the pepper. Nevertheless the 

 pepper is beginning to fall into disrepute. For one thing it is a particu- 

 larly acceptable host to the black scale. To be sure, if the trees are 

 cut back past all the green wood and the trimmings burned, all the scale 

 insects are destroyed for a time, but this means endless work. Fumi- 

 gation is practically impossible, and spraying is not sufficiently effective 

 to warrant even its consideration. 



Again, at Eiverside and other towns where the pepper is freely 

 planted they are finding that the tree needs constant trimming. The 

 young branches are pendant, often for five feet or more. This of 

 course makes the tree a nuisance to pedestrians. Furthermore, if the 

 tree is cut back to stub, although it reclothes itself very promptly, 

 there is usually precipitated a hubbub of indiscriminate popular criti- 

 cism, and it is quite true that the trees are temporarily ruined in 

 appearance. 



Any one considering the use of the pepper should remember that 



1. The pendant habit of young growth means continued pruning. 



2. The black scale infests it. 



3. It needs very wide parkings on account of the irregularity of the 

 trunk and the breaking of pavements. 



4. It requires extra care when young, with staking and pruning, to 

 encourage a good form. 



None of these matters are insurmountable difficulties, but they are 

 matters entailing considerable labor and expense and should not be 

 overlooked. 



THE BIG TREES. 



The sequoia (Sequoia gigantea) is commonly found through the 

 south, but rarely on the parking. It would need, of course, a wide 

 parking, and a great length of time to mature. While most of the 

 specimens were of reasonable size and looked fairly happy, probably 

 none would appear so well under street conditions. 



