194 Ailanthus and Silver Leaf Ahele. 



necessarily sacrificed by such a denunciation of them ; if we 

 did, we should feel that we had been neglectful of our duty 

 in not referring to the subject sooner. We are rather inclined 

 to think that, notwithstanding some persons may have con- 

 curred in Mr. DoAvning's views, few, upon sober reflection, 

 have cut down a beautiful and well grown tree. 



We have never been so great an admirer or advocate of either 

 the ailanthus or abele as many individuals, and have never, 

 to our recollection, recommended, as many have, the former 

 above all others, as one of the most desirable shade trees to 

 be found. This great admiration of them has been confined 

 to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, but more particu- 

 larly New York. In Boston and neighborhood, only a very 

 limited number have ever been planted. We have always 

 considered them as trees which should be sparingly used in 

 ornamental plantations, and too rapid growers for street trees. 

 Still they have their value, and are not to be condemned be- 

 cause some individuals do not know there is any other tree, 

 or infer there is not, because their neighbors plant none, as 

 suitably adapted to similar situations. 



Legislation in matters of taste will not accomplish much. 

 " Down with the ailanthus," from Mr. Downing, was all very 

 v\'ell ; but for a committee of Congress to step in and insert a 

 provision in the appropriation for ornamenting the public 

 grounds at Washington, that no ailanthuses should be planted, 

 was going a little too far ; for we are inclined to think that 

 the views of that, or, indeed any, committee, will never be 

 adopted in matters of landscape art. No ! it would be better 

 to allow a competent person to have his own way in ques- 

 tions of this kind, and then there would be no danger of his 

 i)lanting them extensively enough to produce any of the ill 

 effects attributed to these trees. 



But why should not Mr. Downing, a writer upon land- 

 scape gardening for some years, have discovered the hateful 

 character of these trees sooner ? In his Treatise on the sub- 

 ject, in the latest edition, bearing date only a year or two ago, 

 he recommends both the ailanthus and the abele as among 

 the very handsomest trees. It would seem as if he should 



