170 A SELECTION OF THE BEST TREES 



that we grumble so much at being deprived of. If, in order 

 to obviate this, we cut it in periodically, it becomes an 

 dbject that every person of taste should abhor and cut down 

 as soon as possible, to say nothing of the labour and ex- 

 pense of this periodical mutilation. And all this is in face 

 of the fact that we have several handsome trees that do 

 infinitely better and without clipping. In many cases in 

 towns it would be better, instead of planting a coarse tree 

 of any kind, to cover the railings with the Irish ivy, as the 

 French do ; and then, no light being intercepted, it would 

 be possible to have something worth looking at in the little 

 garden, and the heavier rushes of dust would be kept out 

 by the dense covering of ivy, which would moreover look 

 green at all seasons. Dwarf shrubs more suited to the size 

 of the place and plenty of flowers might then be grown with 

 success. Every Lime tree in every small garden in London 

 should be cut down. 



The Elm is a tree much used in the London parks, and 

 sometimes seen of fine dimensions, but occasionally it is 

 much diseased when used as an avenue tree — for example, 

 in the Mall, in St. James's Park, where the effect of the 

 avenue planting is as bad as it can be. And all this from 

 not having selected a good kind of tree at first ; indeed it 

 is so bad that there need be little surprise at our not yet 

 having attempted street-planting. A few Plane trees near 

 the Buckingham Palace end of the Mall almost save it from 

 looking absolutely hideous from that point of view. The 

 effect of the Elms in Rotten Row, though much better, is not 

 nearly so good as may be produced in like positions by using 

 other trees. The variety chosen has a good deal to do with 

 it — the long Boulevard St. Michel, in Paris, planted with 

 the large-leaved Elm, is quite a success. However, looking 

 to the gross insect enemy of the Elm, and its aspect when 

 planted, as we plant it in avenues, it is not a desirable tree for 

 this purpose, though indispensable for grouping in the parks. 



Paulo wnia imperialis is a very noble subject for town 

 gardens, especially so for those on a dry soil like Paris, and 

 where a good shading medium is wanted. It might well 

 replace several of the miles of poor clipped Elms and Limes 



