The Best Shade Trees for the Home Grounds 
A POPULAR DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CARE AND PLANTING OF 
TREES—KINDS SUITABLE AND UNSUITABLE TO DIFFERENT LOCALITIES—HOW TO SELECT THEM, 
SET THEM OUT, PRUNE THEM, AND PROTECT THEM FROM DISEASE, INSECTS, AND OTHER INJURY 
by J. J. Lev i son, B.A., M.F. 
FORESTER OF THE BROOKLYN PARK DEPARTMENT 
F ALL and spring are the two seasons 
when planting may be clone to ad¬ 
vantage and it is, therefore, timely 
to consider this question now. Spring 
is preferable, but in fall one can select 
the trees and prepare the soil to ad¬ 
vantage so as to lessen the delay in spring. 
Planting for shade and ornament is very 
much different from planting for forest 
reproduction. It is more exacting in its 
expectations and brings into consideration 
a greater number of dependent conditions. 
The number of qualities that the shade or 
ornamental tree must live up to is so great 
that good specimen trees for this purpose 
are rather scarce among nurseries. 
In planting on the street, lawn or park, 
every tree is not only considered in its 
relation to its associates but is also carefully scrutinized for its 
individual merits, which considerations would include the form 
and habit of the specimen, resistance of the tree to wind, insects, 
disease, dust and smoke, and its rate of growth. 
It will thus be seen that trees suitable for forest growth may 
not at all be desirable for shade and ornamental planting and 
that it is more difficult to make a tree produce a beautiful form 
in face of its many difficulties than it is to produce straight timber 
on rich forest soil. 
For planting on city streets, the number of desirable species 
is of necessity limited and often varies with the locality. In the 
East, the oriental plane and Norway maple are among the best 
for general street planting. The elm proves a noble tree on wide 
avenues and in deep soil. 
The red oak is very dur¬ 
able and highly resistant 
to disease and insects. 
It has not been used 
very extensively for 
street planting and 
should be much en¬ 
couraged. The pin oak 
deserves its praise as a 
street tree but its low 
branching and love for 
moisture should restrict 
it to the suburbs. The 
ginkgo is absolutely free 
from insects and disease 
and is very desirable for 
close planting on narrow 
streets. The red maple 
and European linden are 
other good trees used 
with great success on 
the streets of the East¬ 
ern States. 
On the lawn, the con¬ 
ditions for tree erowth 
A case where, though the pruning was prop¬ 
erly done, the cut was not protected 
are more favorable and the variety of 
trees to choose from naturally greater, 
and less dependent upon soil conditions 
than upon the surrounding vegetation and 
the composite picture in the mind of the 
planter. Here, one can resort to the 
American elm with its majestic umbrella 
shaped crown or to the European silver 
linden with its spreading branches luxuri¬ 
antly touching the ground. European 
birches may give a dainty touch to the 
surrounding greens of the landscape. 
Oaks, maples, ginkgoes, tulips and Ken¬ 
tucky coffee trees will also find a place 
on the lawn. 
The appended list summarizes the trees 
best situated for street and lawn in the 
Eastern States. 
Trees Best for Street 
In the Heart of the City 5 
1 Oriental sycamore 6 
2 Norway maple 7 
3 Red oak 8 
For Surburban Sections 9 
4 American elm 10 
American elm 
European silver linden 
European copper beech 
Pin oak 
Trees Best for Lawn 
(Deciduous) 
Ginkgo 
European linden 
English elm 
Scotch elm 
Pin oak 
Red maple 
Norway maple 
Tulip 
Kentucky coffee tree 
Ginkg 
0 
9 
European linden 
10 
Sweet gum 
11 
Soulange’s magnol 
1,2 
White flowering 
dogwood 
Andromeda arbor 1 
(Evergreen) 
14 
Oriental spruce 
15 
White pine 
16 
Austrian pine 
17 
Bhotan pine 
18 
Cypress 
Background Groups 
19 
Black gum 
20 
Sassafras 
21 
Mulberry 
Against a background of spruce and pine nothing is so beautiful as the white 
blossoms of the dogwood 
As to the planting 
process several trees are 
worthy of special note. 
The protection of the 
roots from sun and wind 
is the first and foremost 
consideration. For this 
reason a cloudy day is 
better than a sunny day 
for planting. Too much 
