TREES IN TOWNS 55 



providing shelter, but they cannot be utilised in streets. 

 The curious Chinese maidenhair tree {Ginkgo hiloha) thrives 

 in London, and is worthy of a place in town parks and 

 gardens on account of the remarkable beauty of its foliage. 



In the planting of streets it must be remembered that 

 trees die unless their roots are freely supplied with air as 

 well as moisture. Pavements, such as asphalt, which seal 

 up the soil from access to the air, render the growth of 

 trees impossible. The planting of trees, as is now usually 

 done in English towns, with grilles or iron gratings around 

 their bases, which are supposed to admit sufficient air and 

 moisture to the roots, is a poor practice. Trees planted 

 in this way never do well. Moreover, the gratings are 

 expensive, and in all probability are not more effective 

 for the admission of air and rain than ordinary gravel. 

 The universal practice in America of planting trees along 

 a continuous strip of grass turf should be adopted wherever 

 possible. The width of the grass strip should be at least 

 4 feet. The narrowest street which can be conveniently 

 planted is 50 feet wide; and this may be divided into a 

 oO-feet roadway with two footpaths each 10 feet in width, 

 the latter consisting of a 6 -feet pavement next the houses 

 and a 4-feet planting strip next the curb. A broad strip 

 of turf between the walk and the curb enhances the beauty of 

 the street, and gives the trees a better cliance of vigorous life. 



Streets 60 feet wide are ideal, with a roadway 30 feet 

 wide, and footpaths each 15 feet wide, on which can be laid 

 out a lawn strip of 6 feet. In residential quarters, the 

 houses are usually set well back, and at some distance from 

 the footpaths, which gives more room for the trees to develop. 

 In Paris no trees are planted on streets with tall buildings, 

 which have footpaths less than 13 feet wide and roadways 

 20 feet wide. Narrow pavements and sharp corners of 

 streets are unsuitable for trees. Trees should be set about 40 

 feet apart in the line, alternately in the two rows in a street. 



Free-growing, clean, healthy young trees with good roots 

 must be chosen ; and the best size is about 2 to 3 inches 

 in diameter. The single stake is best, such as a larch pole, 



