NATURAL HISTORY, TORONTO REGION 
Tf the flowers of Toronto have grown more beauti- 
ful, the trees have degenerated sadly. Umbrageous 
groves of oak, beech and maple, diversified by occa- 
sional clumps of towering pine, seem to have charac- 
terized the scene— 
“When wild in woods the noble savage ran.” 
Many noble elm-trees were scattered through the city. 
fifty years ago, and a few still survive. One splendid 
specimen is to be seen east of the Queen’s Park, and 
just north of Wellesley Street. The pines do not 
seem to be able to endure civilization any better than 
the noble savage himself. The new tree surgery, or 
rather dentistry, is being applied to a number of the 
survivors of the forest, with what success remains to 
be seen. The favourite imported tree for shading 
purposes was the horse-chestnut, which, had it been 
planted regularly, as in Bushy Park, near Richmond, 
would have made the University Avenue one of the 
sights of America. But the effort was made to imi- 
tate nature, for the avenue was laid out in the days 
of the romantic movement, which in this case had a 
far from romantic result. The hatred of trees which 
was a heritage of the early settlers survived in 
Toronto till quite recently. In the University 
grounds the trees are labelled with their scientific 
names, as in Boston. May the fragrance of flowers 
and the beauty of trees combine with other pleasant 
memories in the minds of our visitors, as typical of 
Toronto, the “ place of meetings ”! 
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