IO 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
RESIDENCE STREETS— VII. 
Planting. — Continued. 
TI-IE PARKWAYS. 
These are the strips of ground along each side 
of the roadway, which separate it from the sidewalks. 
On ordinary streets they vary in width from a band 
so narrow that one can step across it, to sixteen feet 
or more. The treatment of these spaces has usu- 
ally been left to the taste of the residents. As a 
result these parkways have often been entirely neg- 
lected; in some cases covered with grass; and in 
others the grass has been mown and watered, the care 
given being essentially the same as that of the front 
yard. Often no trees at all are planted, and again, 
elms or maples have been placed not more than 
twelve or fifteen feet apart. If we go to some of 
the older cities, we can see what has been the re- 
sult of such treatment. Nothing could be more sat- 
isfactory than some of the streets in the older towns 
of New England, where our American elms reach 
from each side until their branches meet overhead, 
and where the houses are placed so far back that 
they are not too shaded. Again, where large grow- 
ing forest trees of various kinds have been planted, 
and these are the ones almost invariably used, the 
foliage has become so dense that the residents, in 
order to get lightand air, have trimmed the branches 
up above the second story of the houses. In pass- 
ing along such streets, one ordinarily cannot enjoy 
the beauty of the foliage, but sees, instead, the 
trunks of the trees covered with great scars where 
large branches have been, from time to time, cut 
away. Such an effect certainly should be avoided. 
Probably all will concede that the most satisfac- 
tory results are to be attained only by designing the 
planting of the parkways as a whole, especially if 
such a design is made after a study of all the vari- 
ous requirements. I think that physicians as a class, 
and many others from personal experience, will say 
that the most important thing of all in such streets, 
is that sunlight should be allowed to reach the win- 
dows of the houses. Next in importance, after the 
comfort of good roads and good walks, is the beauty 
of the street as a whole, and then of its various fea- 
tures in themselves. The first requirement would 
prohibit the continuance of the line, or belt, of ma- 
ples, lindens, elms, sycamore, or other forest trees, 
on each side of the roadway, unless the building 
line is some distance away. The south side of an 
east and west street would be the most favorable 
location for trees of this class, 
but groups might be arranged in 
other places without completely 
shutting out the sun. All trees 
of medium size, such as the iron 
wood, flowering dogwood, June- 
berry, red bud, sassafras, blue 
beech, various thorns and crab 
apples, have generally been neg- 
lected when selecting trees for 
street purposes. All of these 
have attractive foliage, and some 
of them beautiful flowers and 
fruits. They might add much 
to the variety and picture-like 
character of the parkway and 
would seldom be objectionable 
from growing too high. 
The many charming effects 
along country roads have been 
pointed out by such books as 
Gibson’s. “Highways and By- 
ways,” and Matthew’s “Familiar Features of the 
Roadside.” These writers apparently derived 
as much pleasure from seeing the various dog- 
woods, viburnums, prickly ash, hazel, grape vine, 
Virgin’s bower, goldenrod, lupines, wild roses, 
blackberries, and hundreds of other plants, as 
from meeting old friends. How delightful it would 
be if the same pleasure could be had by all in their 
daily walks; and I see no reason why most of the 
plants just mentioned, and many others, should not 
be used to brighten city or suburban streets. In the 
ordinary parkways there is plenty of room for them 
to grow. They are in no ones way. They keep their 
foliage where it will be seen. They please us with 
their swelling buds in spring, their varied foliage in 
summer, with their flowers and fruits, and their way 
of holding the snow in winter. It is less trouble to 
Figure 8— Showing a Street with Sidewalk much higher than the Roadway, with no difficulty 
arising ttierefrom. The appearance would be improved if the slope were covered with shrubs. 
