CHAPTER III. 



What Trees to Plant. 



LIST of deciduous and evergreen trees is here given for street 

 and shade planting for the northern states. No attempt has 

 been made to describe their botanical characteristics, nor all 

 the varieties and species of a family. A plain statement of the suit- 

 ableness of each tree for the purpose wanted, with a brief notice of its 

 most prominent features, such as habit of growth, color of foliage or 

 flower, and the soil best adapted to it has been attempted. Many of 

 the newer introductions will undoubtedly prove to be useful for shade 

 and street planting, but in this list only some of the most prominent 

 of those which have been thoroughly tested are inserted. 



There is great difference in the quality of shade produced by differ- 

 ent trees. Some trees, like the catalpa and basswood, are deep bos- 

 omed and dark, and make a dense, cool, damp shade, which is very 

 refreshing at mid-day in summer time. Other trees cast a thin and 

 fleckered shade, which is grateful when one is not tired or overcome 

 by heat. The deeper shades are drowsy ; the lighter ones are play- 

 ful and restless. These fleckered shadows screen the force of the 

 sun's rays while they do not obscure them, and they seldom afford 

 good retreats. Yet every roadside and pleasure ground should in 

 some measure combine the two. In the cooler days of spring and 

 fall one enjoys the sunshine if it is tempered by thin foliage ; in the 

 summer he hides himself in the dark blankets of maples and bass- 

 woods. 



Ashes {Fraxinus) are not grown to the extent of many other 

 American trees, chiefly because they are usually found in a wet soil, 

 and because the top is thin. They usually grow readily, however, 

 upon upland soils, and are deserving of greater popularity. They do 

 not leaf out until late in the spring. Along the street, ashes usually 

 grow finely and make large handsome trees. They are easy to trans- 

 plant, and are better adapted for planting along country roads than 



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