42 SHADE-TREES IN TOWNS AND CITIES 



Horse-Chestniit (^sculus hippocastanum Linn.).— The 

 spring is the redeeming season of the horse-chestnut. 

 When in bloom the tree is a superb sight, "a pyramid of 

 green supporting a thousand pyramids of white." 



The unfolding of its leaves is also extremely interesting 

 and beautiful. By opening one of the buds of the tree with 

 a knife in winter one finds the little leaves and miniature 

 flower clusters carefully packed in the downy wool under 

 the gummy scales. When the warm days of spring come, 

 the resinous bud-scales drop off, and the little fuzzy, light 

 green leaves come out of the buds. The leaflets are close 

 together, like the fingers of a tiny hand, and they hang limp 

 from their stems like moths just emerged from their co- 

 coons. The leaves grow with remarkable rapidity, however, 

 and soon the trees become covered with a dense foliage. 



The horse-chestnut is a native of southeastern Europe, 

 and has for centuries been a favorite tree for avenues and 

 parks in Europe. One of the finest plantations of horse- 

 chestnuts in the world is that in Bushey Park, near London. 

 Five rows of the trees stand on either side of the avenue, 

 and when they are in bloom the fact is announced in the 

 newspapers. Then the public go to see the sight. This spe- 

 cies is extensively used in Paris. There are over 17,000 

 horse-chestnut trees in the streets of that city. 



The tree was first introduced in the United States in 

 1746. It belongs to the same genus as our native buckeye, 

 with which it is sometimes confused. If one remembers the 

 difference in the leaves, however, it is easy to distinguish 

 the two trees. The leaves of the buckeye are five-fingered, 

 while those of the horse-chestnut are seven-fingered. The 

 horse-chestnut is the sturdier of the two, and the flowers 

 are more profuse and beautiful than those of the buckeye. 



