234 
the AMERICAN 
garden. 
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GOOD DAWN TREES, 
Spring Grove Cemetery, near Cincinnati, 
widely known as one of the most judiciously 
arranged and most tastefully planted ceme¬ 
teries in the country, offers rare oppor¬ 
tunities for studying trees. Mr. Strauch, 
who won fame and honor with the creation 
of this beautiful specimen of landscape art, 
was both a lover and excellent judge of trees, 
and brought here together specimens of most 
of our native as well as of the best foreign 
species, which may be seen of many different 
ages and in various combinations. 
At a recent visit I was particularly at¬ 
tracted by a plot of about an acre iii extent, 
on which were planted five kinds of our most 
beautiful lawn trees, the several specimens 
of each being so arranged as to present their 
special characteristics to the best advantage. 
They had probably been planted about eight¬ 
een years as they had reached a diameter of 
six or seven inches, thi’ee feet from the lawn. 
THE SCAELET OAK. 
This was undoubtedly the most beautiful 
tree. Its clean stem,its slender limbs, and still 
more slender sprays with beautiful, glossy, 
dark-green leaves, made me wonder why it 
is not oftener planted. It was Dr. Warder’s 
favorite tree, and I once heard him recom¬ 
mend the close planting of it in large groups, 
to be cut back once in two years. Such a 
mass would be beautiful all summer, and as 
the Indian summer days drew near their 
close it would be glorious in its scarlet hue. 
THE SUGAR MAPLE 
with its dark foliage and neat, regular out¬ 
line, came next the Scarlet Oak. It is every¬ 
where the American favorite tree, and is too 
well known to need description or encomium. 
THE STCAJIOP.E MAPLE. 
Though little known and seldom planted, 
this combines the beautiful features of two 
of our best trees, the Sycamore and the Maple. 
Its large, sharp-cut leaves on long petioles 
give it a most distinct appearance. The 
specimens were hardly old enough to show 
their greatest beauty, the new growth being 
so rank j but the tone of the tree is warmer 
than that of the Sugar Maple, and produced a 
pleasant contrast. 
THE LIQUIDAMBAR, OR SWEET GUM. 
This tree was a favorite with A. J. Down- 
ing, and Frank Scott laments the perversity 
of taste that fails to make it more generally 
planted. In appearance (or “ touch,” as the 
artists say) it is different from all other trees. 
Its leaves, like irregular five-pointed stars, 
hang perpendicular, and remind one of the 
Jticinus, or Castor-oil Bean. When young 
this tree grows in a natural pyramidal form •’ 
but, as it gets older, its form is more like the 
Maple’s, with which it harmonizes well in 
planting. In spring, its opening leaves omit 
an amber-like fragrance; and during Octo¬ 
ber Its foliage becomes clothed in gorcooiis 
coloring, similar to a crimson 'I'ulip. jiu 
secondary branches have a peculiar bark 
formation, singular and striking. The trunk 
exudes a transparent gum, and at the South 
the leaves are sometimes covered with a 
-- The extreme 
sweet, gl“‘;"°"®;5'touthern Ohio this 
heat and di-ought from the 
summer " „ever seen upon this 
leaves, which I leaves, or 
tree at the ‘ / jUjered. causing decay 
parts of leaves, had ad _ 
and discoloration, sadly mailing 
the EUROPEAN LINDEN. 
The drought had injured these t^ 
what, so that they were jf, ;,cst 
best. This tree, ^'55, Mr to 
beauty in midsummer, and 1 . 
criticise its appearance in Octobe ■ 
This grove of trees lacked bu 
to give it perfection, especially toward the 
close of autumn. There were no Scailet 
Maples. 
THE SCARLET MAPLE. 
Specimens of this, the most beautiful 
autumn tree, were scarce even in other 
parts of the grounds; yet I noticed a tree 
which must be an object of rare beauty 
when it puts on its autumnal dress. It was 
rather a dwarf specimen, not more than 
twenty feet high, while its “ di’ip ” was fully 
thirty feet in diameter. Its branches rested 
upon the gi’ound, which was sloping and 
bordered with a close backgi’ound of Oaks. 
Many beautiful specimens of Oaks, both 
Bed and Overcup, as well as of other trees, 
are to be seen at Spring Grove, but none 
seemed to me to surpass the above-men¬ 
tioned in beauty and perfection of form. 
L. B. Pierce; 
CONSTEDCTION OP ROADS AND WALKS. 
Very much of personal comfort and pleasure 
in suburban localities depends upon good 
roads. A smooth, firm, dry road is one of 
the greatest conveniences and enjoyments, 
while rough and soft muddy roads are among 
drawbacks and annoyances anywhere. Bad 
roads form the greatest obstacles to prog¬ 
ress and pei-manent improvements in all 
neighborhoods which are blasted with their 
e.xistence; they have a demoralizing effect 
upon the inhabitants, and are a sure sign of 
poverty or mismanagement, or both. 
The main point involved in maintaining a 
good road is to keep it dry. Water is the 
worst enemy to good roads. A clay road is 
a good road so long as it is perfectly dry. 
In order, then, to keep a road dry, it is 
necessary to keep it somewhat higher than 
the surface, so that water will leave it 
quickly. Therefore, the greater part of a 
Merely for a foot-walk no gi-eat depth of 
2 ™‘l oxcavatio.m filled 
up with stones and finished level with or as 
more frequently seen, a little lower th’rtl e 
unless in some cases to fill inTr 
the surface, and then half an in/ 
that is necessary. ^ uH 
Tlie details of road-mnUi., 
described as follows: After lo 
»<1 n»kl.,e u, 
by laying a sod about a foot i 
keep' the edge perfect and 
further dperations. The roadh'^s^’®® 
formed by excavating and removin 
to a, depth of six inches below the t 
sod at the sides, sloping it up to ^ ‘he 
at the rate of two inches to the yard 
aroadfourteenfeetwide wouldbefi ' 
higher in the center than at the side* 
road-bed should be made perfectl 
by rolling, so as to insm-e a uniform 
upon which the material of the rnns 
placed. be 
The best stone for road-making i, t 
granite. Hard, brittle stone is more 
reduced by pressure, but for the 
layer this is no defect. About four inch 
roughly broken stones are first spread** 
tlie road.,bed, then a roller is passed 
them to press them somewhat in place*'^*^ 
to regulate the surface for the nextk**^ 
which should consist of broken stone, hrok*^’ 
so that each piece could pass through'an in*! 
and a half ring. This layer will fiu 
two inches, and after being leveled by roll 
ing, a sprinkling of small gravel-stones not 
larger than marbles is then spread evenlv 
over the surface and the roller again applied 
to compress and form a somewhat smooth 
surface for the application of a layer of gravel 
not over one inch in thickness. It is all-im¬ 
portant that this layer of gravel should not 
exceed one inch in thickness, and large 
gravels should not he allowed in it, A 
gravel containing reddish-colored clay is the 
best. 
The gi’avel is merely for the purpose of 
filling up spaces between the stones on the 
sm-faee, and should be carefully and evenly 
distributed, and then rolled until the sur¬ 
face becomes homogeneous, fii'm, and close. 
Washed gravel or sandy gravel should not 
be used where a clayey gravel can be pro¬ 
cured, and in no case should gravel be ap¬ 
plied in thicker layers than has already been 
stated. 
No detail in road-making is more important 
than the surface finish. The stones orgravels 
on the immediate surface of the road should 
be so small that a wagon-wheel or the foot 
of a horse will simply press it down; if large 
enough to be piressed on one end, the other 
end will be slightly raised, and will soon 
be found rolling on the top; hence, every 
stone near the surface should bo smaller than 
the pressing point; then it is not easily 
disarrangod. 
Tho road, whon finished, should be 
up at tho sides, so as to bo nearly level wit 
tlio top of tlio sod at tho sides. This wi 
allow tho water to pass rapidly from t e 
road to tho sides. A slight upi\'ar,d ® 
tlio sod will also bo favorable, but, 
all things, tho road should appear to bo f" ' 
Notliing looks so bad as doop edgings, 
ing as it they had bocn cut by a 
Il'illinm Sauiulors, hefore the Vietrict oj 
Imibia Jforlicnllural Socioti/, 
ORNAMENTAL HEDOES. 
'riiomas Moohan rocoinniomls 
green hedges, for ornamontal 
Norway Sprneo, Scotch Pino, Hoinlook,^^ 
Gliiiioso and Aniorioan Arbor Vitro i .jj 
dwarf dividing linos, tho golden 
and the dwarf forms of Arbor Vitro. "' 
any tliick-growlng shrubs make ban ® 
deciduous hodgos. 
