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" The city swims in verdure, beautiful 

 As' Venice on the waters, the sea-swan. 

 "What bosky gardens dropped in close-walled courts 

 Like plums in ladies' laps, who start and laugh ! 

 What miles of streets that run on after trees ! " 



AuEORA Leigh. 



CHAPTEE X. 

 Trees for Cities. 



It is a popular but erroneous notion that trees will not thrive in 

 London. People often see in France streets bordered with rows 

 of handsome young trees, and they naturally compare these 

 verdant avenues with our own streets, where trees are rarely 

 planted, and come to the conclusion that there is " something in 

 the air" which prevents trees thriving in London. The following 

 letter to the ' Pall Mall Gazette ' is an example of the ideas often 

 held on the subject. " When people propose to decorate London, 

 the first consideration should be what will suit the climate. It 

 cannot be too often repeated that our city atmosphere is fatally 

 inimical to delicacy of architecture, and quite equally so to 

 delicacy of vegetation. Our skies will rain soot continually, and 

 moisture therewithal to make the - soot adhere ; the soot will 

 insinuate itself amidst fairy tracery of stone, and clog the pores of 

 beautiful trees and shrubs ; and it is an utter waste of art and 

 money to disregard these inevitable conditions of the question. It 

 is very childish to tickle our fancy by providing for a momentary 

 admiration of things which a short time will make hideous, and 

 then, when the inevitable has taken place, contenting ourselves 

 with a shrug of the shoulders and ' what a pity !' Few young 

 trees will really flourish in the climate of our modern London ; 

 the case was perhaps difi'erent some years ago. But from any 

 general planting of trees in London, especially in leading 

 thoroughfares, I cannot expect agreeable results — Misodendkos." 



