General Considerations 203 
appearance of appropriateness, the ornamental value of a 
tree must always be judged with reference to the place in 
which it stands or is to be put. Hence, a conifer whose beauty 
lies in the pyramidal, or rather conical crown with branches 
down to the base is not beautiful as a street tree, because its 
inappropriateness of form in such position is at once appar- 
ent; the copper beech, a beautiful object in itself, loses its 
ornamental value by being planted promiscuously and in 
large clumps; like all unusual things it is beautiful only in 
singleness when properly set off. Similarly the use of droop- 
ing trees, dwarfs, fastigiate forms, or of any peculiar colors 
or shapes in masses and set out promiscuously; or of antago- 
nistic shapes in combination, destroys the ornamental value 
which any one, singly, might possess. 
Hence, it is possible only to point out those characteristics 
in the development of species which furnish the basis for 
judging ornamental value; the individual situation or location 
being an essential point in such judgment. 
Since in northern latitudes the deciduous-leaved trees are 
without foliage at least for half the year, the shape of the 
crown and the kind of bark should receive more considera- 
tion than is usually the case. Indeed, the skeleton of the 
branch system (made up of branches and twigs of varying 
number, length, thickness, position, and angle of insertion) 
imparts to the crown its typical aspect both in winter and 
summer, for the position and density of the foliage is depend- 
ent on the position and density of the branchlets. 
We recognize in the first place the monopodial type, 2.e., 
the one in which one main axis or bole persistently dominates 
the whole system into late life, the branches remaining rela- 
atively inferior, as is usually the case with firs, spruces, pines, 
and other conifers, at least during their young period, and with 
the Tulip-tree among the broad-leaf kinds; the dichopodial 
