128 
TREES AS GOOD CITIZENS 
useless through the action of the elements. In other 
instances, one will find labels which confine themselves 
to scientific names, quite out of reach of the everyday- 
citizen. It is hard to picture the school child or the casual 
park visitor growing enthusiastic upon reading a label 
which solemnly proclaims a tree to be u Ulmus Americana” 
On the other hand, there is something definite and satis¬ 
fying in a label showing the tree to be a good, old-fash¬ 
ioned American Elm, of the type made immortal by the 
poets and holding deathless place in the pages of American 
history through association with men and events of 
distinguished memory. Liquidambar styraciflua hamameli- 
daceoe would leave the average person unmoved and 
unimpressed, but Sweet Gum is a name known to all of 
us and well calculated to cause a feeling as of a handshake 
with an old friend. 
To give labels their true educational worth their use 
should be systematic and uniform. They should include 
all the trees of the community, whether in parks, on 
squares or on the streets. They should be in simple form, 
easily read and durable. The information given on each 
label should be suited to both student and layman. To 
cover these various points involves: 
1. Centralized action by municipal authorities or by joint 
undertaking on the part of individual property owners. 
2. Labels of such material and design as will insure perma¬ 
nent legibility. 
3. Information covering the common name of each tree, 
its scientific name, and the part of the world to which 
it is native, as for example: “Norway Maple, {Acer 
platanoides ), Europe.” 
The National Capital has undertaken to set an exam¬ 
ple of effective shade tree labelling. In line with sugges¬ 
tions that the park trees of the District of Columbia 
