70 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



September, 1907 



In built-up city dist'icts the Carolina poplar is bound 

 to succeed, (or hardly anything will Kill it 



that it is dirty in the fall in dropping its 

 numerous seed capsules. 



As a light shade tree, permitting the glinting 

 sunshine to penetrate through its branches 

 and to play lightly upon the ground beneath, 

 plant the buttonwood or plane tree (Platanns 

 occiientalis). There are two species of the 

 plane, the American and the Oriental. It is 

 the Oriental tree that is planted with such 

 success in Washington, D. C. In very early 

 stages, very few expert treemen can appreciate 

 the differences between these two species. 

 It is when the trees attain maturity, at a 

 height approximating their maximum ioo 

 feet, that the distinctions become very plainly 

 marked. The Oriental plane makes a 

 perfectly modelled, symmetrical, round head, 

 whereas the American plane is much more 

 like some of the oaks and it has a tendency 

 to become lop-sided, as it were, and an old 

 specimen can be recognized from afar by a 



The handsome Oriental plane makes a light gentle 

 shade. It succeeds admirably all through the East 



long branch that it throws out, destroying 

 all balance to the top. 



The plane tree can be recognized by any- 

 one because of its peculiar habit of shedding 

 its bark in thin scales. This gives the trunk 

 and branches in the spring time a very 

 peculiar mottled effect. As this shedding 

 continues more or less all summer, it makes 

 the tree somewhat unwelcome in some 

 situations because it continually litters up 

 the ground beneath. As a light shade tree, 

 however, it leaves nothing to be desired, and 

 has all the requisites named above. 



From the Hudson Valley southwards, the 

 tulip tree (Liriodendron Tulipifera) occupies 

 the same place among our native shade trees 

 that the elm does in New England. This 

 interesting relic of an almost extinct race is 

 one of the cleanliest and best conditioned 

 trees that can be planted. It holds its leaves 

 until October and attains a height of ioo feet. 

 The reason that it is not more commonly 

 used as a shade tree is that it is somewhat 

 difficult to transplant. It has fleshy or 

 •succulent roots that are easily injured by 

 exposure or by bruises. It is net real 1 / 

 practical to move trees of a greater size than 

 four inches in diameter, and if these csnnot 

 be had properly prepared for moving from 

 the nursery, it will be better to buy still 

 smaller trees, so as to guarantee their living. 



The European linden (Tilia Europaa) 

 in general contour is more like the rock 

 maple than any other of these trees, and 

 despite the fact that it is subject to serious 

 attacks by borers and also by a certain leaf 

 disease, it is one of the most valuable of the 

 upright shade trees It grows rapidly, its 

 foliage is of a lightish green, it flowers with 

 a profusion of very fragrant, if minute and 

 otherwise inconspicuous blossoms, which are 

 much esteemed by the bees. There are 

 distinct types of the European linden, but 

 by far the most ornamental is known as the 

 red-twigged. This is apparently a seedling 

 form that develops in the nursery rows, and 

 its appearance cannot be foretold. The 

 reddish color of the young twig adds greatly 

 to the beauty of the tree, and for planting 

 as specimens the red twigged kind is to be 

 preferred to the others, but will cost twice 

 as much as the common form. 



Throughout the West and on heavy soils 

 in the Eastern States, the black walnut 

 (Juglans nigra) is most successful as a tree 

 giving perfect and appropriate shade. It 

 has one great drawback in comparison with 

 the others, and that is that it begins to drop 

 its leaves by August; but it endures well and 

 may be expected to attain a height of ioo 

 feet under congenial conditions. It is an- 

 other tree, however, which must be set out 

 when young, which is one of the reasons per- 

 haps why we do not see it as often as we should. 

 It is difficult to transplant, and it needs at- 

 tention too in its early years to prevent the 

 formation of a low branching head. It has 

 a tendency to fork its main branches. 



In planting shade trees, it is generally the 

 wise thing to buy specimens that are not more 

 than three inches caliper. It is generally 

 wiser, also, to plant a young tree of a maximum 

 height of six to eight feet, rather than larger 



The Norway maple is the best of all maples as a 

 street tree, autumn color yellow 



specimens which offer greater difficulties in 

 handling, and also expose more surface to 

 injury. 



Rest assured of this: That in ten years 

 from planting, trees of the sizes named will 

 be better specimens than those which are 

 three or four sizes larger when set out. The 

 object of shade trees is to cause shade, which 

 means evenly developed, well-balanced tops. 

 The approximate prices for these are: 

 Elm, 8 to io ft., $i.oo; rock or sugar 

 maple, 8 to io ft., $.75; Norway maple, 10 to 

 12 ft., $1.00; horse chestnut, 8 to 10 ft., $1.50; 

 white oak, 6 to 8 ft., $1.50; Carolina poplar, 

 12 to 14 ft., $1.25; pin oak, 8 to 10 ft., $2.00; 

 American plane tree, 8 to 10 ft., $1.00; 

 Oriental plane tree, 10 to 12 ft., $1.75; 

 tulip tree, 8 to 10 ft., $1.50; European linden, 

 8 to 10 ft., $1.50; black walnut, 8 to 10 ft., 

 $2.50. 



The European linden is preferred for a rapid g-ow- 

 ing, upright tree despite insect and fungous di ea-es 



