48 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
No. 1 45 
'A.O.mORd.DEL. 
Fig. 1 — European Linden, (Tilia Europcea )—Hight 78 feet. 
Shade and Ornamental Trees. 
February is already here. The last Winter 
month, and that the shortest one, is upon us. 
Spring will soon come, and with it the appro¬ 
priate labors. Even now our more southern 
readers have either begun to plant out trees, or 
are getting ready to do so. The question, “ What 
shade and ornamental trees shall we plant 1” will 
be more frequently asked than ever before, and 
We would wish the number of inquirers could by 
any means be multiplied by thousands. A beau¬ 
tiful tree, planted near the dwelling or by the road¬ 
side, will in a brief period afford a world of 
pleasure to the proprietor and to a multitude of 
other beholders. There are very many native 
trees adapted to this purpose, with others of for¬ 
eign origin, which can be obtained at the com¬ 
monest nurseries and gardens. We have, in 
former pages, indicated and described many of 
these, and will from time to time introduce 
others. We have secured fine original illustra¬ 
tions* of five valuable trees, which we will briefly 
describe. 
Fig. 1 , European Linden, or Lime Tree, (Tilia 
Europcea.) The engraving is a very accurate por- 
* A new and greatly improved edition of Downing’s 
Landscape Gardening is in preparation, by the well- 
known II. W. Sargent., which will soon be published by 
A. O. Moore & Co. Many new and valuable illustrations 
are being got up for the work, among which will be found 
the five beautiful original engravings in this article. We 
admired them so much that we paid the publishers a 
large sum for permission to use them in advance of their 
regular publication. Asa protection to the proprietors, 
it should be stated that they are copyrighted both for the 
book as well ns in these pages, and we must, in this case, 
make an exception to our general rule of allowing arti¬ 
cles and illustrations to be copied when due credit is 
g "-0.1 —Ed 
fined rural comfort. Many an expensive house, 
bald and comfortless in spite of its expense, would, 
by the introduction of even one such tree into 
the stiffly planted or naked grounds, become an 
object of interest to its possessor, and to every 
passer by. Yet we by no means recommend that 
all, or even a large proportion of the trees on any 
one place should have this form. Indeed the 
circumstances which allow a tree to develop in 
this way, cannot be conveniently secured for a 
great number. It is the shape most desirable for 
a single tree planted upon the lawn, or in the 
neighborhood of the house. 
The conditions necessary are these: Any 
round-headed spreading species, such as the Lin¬ 
den, Maple, Elm, etc., may be selected. It 
should be a vigorous young tree, which has not 
been crowded or deprived of its lower branches. 
If it has suffered from either of these causes, the 
top must be cut off for one-third or one-half of 
the hight of the tree. This will give vigor to 
the lower limbs. The soil should be rich and 
trenched or dug 8 to 12 feet in circumference, 
and 4 feet deep, unless that depth should penetrate 
a retentive “hard pan,’’ in which case 2£ or 3 
feet will be better. No other tree should grow 
near it, and even weens and high grass should 
never overhang or smother its lower leaves. No 
animal should be allowed to browse or rub the 
branches, and even in mowing or walking about 
the tree, disturb them as little as possible. 
Less care in each particular may produce, per¬ 
haps, a fine tree, but in proportion to the care will 
be its beauty. Aside from a slight heading back 
when young, or in case of injury, no trimming 
should be allowed. If the soil is not naturally 
rich, a top dressing of long manure each Autumn 
will be advantageous, forking it in the following 
Spring. 
The beauty and value of the European Linden 
has long been appreciated in Europe, and it is 
being extensively planted in this country. As a 
symmetrical tree, adapted to quiet and beautiful 
effects, singly on the lawn, or as an avenue tree, 
it has no superior, and in the proximity of gar 
trait of a tree—probably the largest of the kind 
in the country—which is now growing on the 
estate of Wm. Denning, 
Esq., at Presqu-ile, a beau¬ 
tiful point jutting out into the 
Hudson River, some 60 miles 
above New-York city. This 
tree has been planted about 
44 years, and is now' 57 feet 
in height, its branches grow¬ 
ing in a beautifully dense 
mass from the ground to the 
summit—the low'er ones 
resting upon the smooth turf 
inclosing the space within, 
where an embowered seat in¬ 
vites our entrance. Some of 
our readers may inquire how 
this form of growth is se¬ 
cured 1 Whether it is pecu¬ 
liar to this kind of tree, or is 
the result of training 1 And 
further, whether this is the 
desirable form for our orna¬ 
mental shade trees 1 
We will answer the last 
question first. That it is de¬ 
sirable in certain situations, 
no one who sees our engrav¬ 
ing will question. For a 
lawn or a door yard, of suita¬ 
ble dimensions, there can be 
nothing more beautiful, or 
which would express so 
perfectly the idea of re- Fig. 2— Large-leaved Magnolia, (Magnolia macrophylia )—Hight 25 ft 
A. C. f/OORC.. CEL 
