102 The Public Gardens and Parks of Paris, 



the avenue and boulevard planting in and around Paris. The trees 

 are nearly all young, but very vigorous and promising. Every 

 tree is trained and pruned so as to form a symmetrical straight- 

 ascending head, with a clean stem. Every tree is protected by a 

 slight cast-iron or stick baslcet, neat wads and ties preventing this 

 from rubbing against the tree injuriously ; it is staked when young, 

 and when old if necessary. Most important of all, nearly every tree 

 is fortified with a cast-iron grating six feet wide or so, which effec- 

 tually prevents the ground from becoming hard about the trees in 

 the most frequented thoroughfares, permits of any attention they 

 may require when young, and of abundance of water being 

 quickly absorbed in summer. The expense for these strong and 

 wide gratings must be something immense, but assuredly the result 

 that will be presented by the trees a few years hence will more than 

 repay for all expense, by the grateful shade and beauty they will 

 afford the town in all its parts. It is almost too much to hope for 

 such improvement in London, though it is capable of being beauti- 

 fied to an even greater extent by judicious planting, and the trees 

 used in Paris would do equally well in it ; but we may reasonably 

 hope that trees will be planted along the Thames Embankment ; 

 there will be plenty of space and a fine opportunity, and they 

 would highly embellish what will be the greatest improvement 

 London has yet seen. 



As soon as a new road or boulevard is made in Paris, in go the 

 trees — and every one of the millions is as carefully trained and pro- 

 tected as a pet tree in an English nobleman's park. The kinds most 

 in use for avenues are the Plane, Chestnut, the large-leaved Elm, the 

 Robinia, and the AUanthus. Paulownia imperiahs is also used here 

 and there ; and I noticed that it was in some respects the best tree 

 of all, lasting in tlie most healthful greenness of leaf long after tlie 

 common deciduous trees had begun to suffer. It also presents, from 

 its low stature and spreading habit, a great advantage for some 

 places where low trees are indispensable, and shade equally so. 

 Thus, if they planted it in the garden of the Palais Royal, they 

 would have a more agreeable shade than that afforded by Elms, &c.. 



