DESCRIPTION OF TREES SUITABLE TOR PLANTING. 61 



of the same length. It has the same aboricultural characteristics as its 

 type, but can be propagated only by grafts. Young stock can be procured 

 from nurserymen. A small and short-lived tree, it is well suited on ac- 

 count of its rapid growth, dense umbrage, unique and symmetrical crown, 

 for small avenues and narrow streets. It should be spaced 25 feet. 



Yellowwood (Cladrastis luted), a native of the mountains of this 

 State, is a slender, rather short-lived tree becoming 35 or 40 years of age 

 and reaching a height of 25 or 30 feet. It forms a broad, vase- or fan- 

 shaped crown, with a thin canopy of light-green, compound, drooping 

 foliage. The bark is smooth and light gray on both trunk and branches. 

 The showy, pendant clusters of fragrant, white flowers, which are pro- 

 duced in profusion in May, are followed by small pods, which are long 

 persistent and add to its attractiveness during the deciduous season. It is 

 easily transplanted, stands pruning well and can be freely reproduced from 

 seed. It should be spaced 30 feet. 



One of the most desirable ornamental trees for street planting in this 

 State on account of its clean foliage, slender, upright habit, it has how- 

 ever never been used as a street tree and only in the most limited way for 

 ornamental planting. While not so large as either yellow locust or Ken- 

 tucky coffee tree, it is far more desirable than the former on account of 

 its greater symmetry and better health and more so than the latter on 

 account of the shape of its crown and the more uniform density of its 

 canopy. 



Chestnut (Castanea dentata). — This native tree makes one of the 

 most desirable large-sized shade trees that can be used in the western 

 third of this State, making rapid growth especially in youth and attain- 

 ing a great age. The slightly tapering trunk with smooth dark gray bark 

 in youth and furrowed bark in old specimens is excurrent in young trees, 

 forming an oval crown which gradually becomes very broad and spreading. 

 It prefers a well-drained, loamy soil of good quality. It is very easily 

 transplanted and no American tree can endure as vigorous pruning in old 

 specimens as the chestnut. It stands storms well and is free from leaf 

 diseases, but the wood of the trunk is attacked by borers, which, however, 

 seldom injure its vitality and the bark is sometimes affected by a fungus 

 which kills the tree, especially below 2000 feet elevation. The foliage is 

 dense and dark green; the flowers in dense white spikes appear in June 

 and July, and the fruit, in prickly burrs, ripens and falls in September. 

 The chestnut should be spaced not less than 40 feet. See PI. IX. 



On account of its large prickly burrs and ill-scented flowers the chest- 

 nut is not suitable for planting on streets very close to dwellings or to 

 overhang sidewalks. It makes a desirable tree, however, for central 



