TREE PLANTING ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 25 



either begin this work at unseasonable times, or so maim the poor branches that, 

 either out of laziness, or want of skill, they leave most of them stubs, and instead of 

 cutting the arms and branches close to the bole, hack them off a foot or two from 

 the body of the tree, by which means they become hollow and rotten, and are so 

 many conduits to receive the rain and the weather, which conveys the wet to the 

 very matrix and heart, deforming the whole tree with many ugly botches which 

 shortens its life and utterly mars the timber." He also cautions the pruner " to cut 

 smooth and sloping upwards, if upright boughs, otherwise downwards ; and be sure 

 to emplaster great wounds to keep out the wet, and hasten the covering of the bark: 

 besides, for interlucation, remove exuberant branches, et spissae nemorum coma, 

 where the boughs grow too thick and are cumbersome, to let in the sun and air." 



When one reads the old writings of this silvan worthy it would seem that there 

 is nothing new to be said on trees or forestry, and that whatever one might write on 

 the subject it would appear very much like plagiarism. 



Arrangement of Trees on Streets. 



In street planting the trees should be placed with reference to the room they 

 will need when fully grown, rather than with reference to the lot bounderies ; other- 

 wise, there will be irregularity, overcrowding and unoccupied spaces. The average 

 city lot is too narrow to permit a tree on each, and so the proper spacing on a block 

 must be determined irrespective of the wishes of the property owners, each of whom 

 might want a tree in front of his house. If a block is fully planted, the trees on one 

 side of the street should stand opposite trhe spaces on the other side. Planting at 

 half distance, with the intention of removing every other tree in time, is sometimes 

 done in order to obtain more shade at the start. But this plan is an objectionable 

 one ; the intermediate trees are seldom removed, and, in their crowded condition, 

 become ill-shaped and undersized. The arrangement is a doubtful expedient, even 

 if the superfluous ones are removed at the proper time ; for while the trees are small 

 they afford neither beauty nor shade, no matter how closely they were planted. 

 The only case in which intervals might be filled with advantage is in a row of old 

 trees that have passed maturity and are nearing their end. In such a case time can 

 be saved by planting young ones in the spaces ; for when the old decaying trees fall 

 the young ones will be- well along toward replacing them. On residential streets 

 where the houses stand well back from the fence line, with lawns or wide yards in 

 front, the trees should not be placed at the curb, but inside the walk where they will 

 be free from iijjury, obtain more moisture, and afford an equally good shade. 



