, 1870-07-03
street Planting iu ChicnEo-Vnbanla
Ayenlcs


To 1ht Editor u 7hr chieaso 7rI5..<e
The r,cl display OF foliage to be seen III
many Of tie streets Of Chicago occasions al
ways feeling Of agrecalie surprise in this
1nlnds OF strangers. They arc 1*,e uuprararel
for the evidences Of wonderful growt. aud
prosperity exhibited in her public works, and
the buildings which aaosn het htrrets, h4vins
had kopae previous intimation Of their exist
euca. And 'th.viug in many instances cut'-
cel4ed, from that very tact, prejudice against
the place, fron tho feeling that it must wear
m uncomfortable aspect Of nowncss and want
Of finish The right OF avenues which, for
rnilee, are lined with trees Of such size ~ to
give decided character to the htrcct. is Fo1ne-
thiuE they WcEa not prepared for, nnd II pro-
hably has even more eject in giving them
pleasant impression Of tho ctr than I'll the
architectural wonders it can exhibit, 1t con-
fess home aspect which they had not looked
for,-a sense Of ease and comfort which il tie
primary requisite Of local attachment, ami
which E1yes Assurance at the outset Of more
n,t1active qualities than those which hase baen
mort nOiaeu abroad.
The question Ut street planting. therefore.
i. one Of deeper significance than the nero
ela1inE and adorning Of private lots and
houses, and, IT this fact were generally fecoE-
nized, and tho work executed accusuinE to
systematic design, whose unity should be pre-
kcIFeu Ill 1sle teleeklOB AnI tasteful AIfA1s,e-
1nent throughout each ttrcct or square. OF
trees whose size. shape. and co!oE Of foliage
would blend ha1monioutty together. 40 effect
could bc eecutc1 Of which no conception cail
be formed from the present ind.sctitnlaate
method. which allows every nnn 10 nlnnt what
he tlc4ser in trout Of hip own tlnor. The nc-
ce-sity Of combined action which such -yt-
ten, requires, however. leaves 1t!le room To
hope Tor it's speedy adoption. b'lt much nav
lie d"ne sowarIe the haue end by directing at
teution to facts in regard to trees and the best
ultsiea ii planting. which every one may verify
fer himself from existine examples.
Probably no etrcet in tue city affords bet
ter tEeciMen Of the effest Of continuous plant
| ing than Wabash avenue. though finer rpeci-
n,en- Of Individual trees mas ue found on the
| North eide.
Locking eouth from Ma4.ison or Monroe
street tho perspective il imposing and beatiti-
full and il is obylotls II the first glance that
| iit beauty is in great degree pwlnE to itte
| I1ch mas, Of foli1ge on each side, which
rervea. bs itr graceful outline aud r1ch masaes
ot ver,iuse, to soften the rigid angles aud
warn NJ the unconprolnising col''rs OF the
1nbiic and private buildings which arc seen
| through A1i1 at,ose them.
.s,,cl, il the first impression. 4 eocond look
| re. vals certain deficiencies ard objectionable
features. winch become 1aure apparent on a
| closer iuvestleation. II is then seen tba. in
many places open gsFs c1ist where no trees
have been p1aosed. In others they hare been
11anted 10 thicklr that they have had no
chance fur indiriAual development. hut have
| furccd each other out OF shape and
lecome tiled viii, dead wood in their
/ efforts 10 secure share OF the suu-
| light winch is essenti2l to their vitality.
| Iu mutt Gates, too. trees OF Al nlse-
rior variety hare been planted on account OF
thti capacity for rapid growth, and they sre
deficient iu grace OF beauty in comparison with
others which might have required 4 few ul1rt
ycatr to ill the eauc space. The msst thai
can be 3aid Of them is that they arc bettsi
! than nothing: hut Oh the other hand. while
they last, nothing better can be substituted fnl
| them. The Doet connou tree, not oulE bet:
bat all over the city: is the cottauwooa. ~hlct
has little grace or dignity. aud IN the seAso1
Of seeding, ia only ; nuisance. The slre
poplar il nat UNCOMMON, Aal the Lombard,
poplar, the three-thoIned acacia, the catAlpa
tue silALthus. and the osaGe orange may ot
occasionally reeu. not one Of which ought ere
to b. plated here a. An ornamental trec. Tn
uo-t cur:.nlon trees tnezt to the cuttonwoods
are the rlm and the maple, II propers.
planted. that IL, with proper preparation o
lite soil and care in reiecting and transplant
Jug, the elm viii thrive auxuriantly. an
! lth besuty and adaptation to street pIAntIui
| need no setting fHth.
4 ane e,,esimen Of graceful and health
| elm NAV lie -een ii the southwest ctkuer O
Nalsasl, avenue aud Thirteenth street. an
ureh mag be learned in regard to the snbjec
VI stree, planting frpm this single tee. i ~
not yet attzined thlsd OF the tize to which
wil probably grow, but its limbs are alrcad
brushing the front Of the house End overarrt
ing those Of another elm ne1t to 1t, which
yerarhint in consequence. On the side toHAs
the house, and also where the other elm intel
ietts with It, it is suffering, and some Of i;
lc~ er hn4le are dead; bnI nothing could y
more graceful or vigorous than she whole d.
play ut sI.ras snl foliage OH the sides whic
| ale t,1rp-d toward tne streets Ialin; this tte
81 criterion OF rize {even U it were never I
{ b. lary. thai 1t il uow /. We need only look .
; the distances At which the elul- arc usual
| planted from each othes. to perceive thst Il
| such beautyof form cat ever be hoped for wise
| they are ~ crowded. aud that single Is:
lie The one alluded To, il Of mora saIu
j for shade Is and o'namsn. nuz;.,r;,t toan a..
.. struggling Nth each other for chanca TO lise
, AuutLe. beautiful sp. cinen Of the vae
| shaped elm may be feer m the east side
the avenue, in f1ont Of No. SIG, but s form b,
!, already .een seriously injured by the tre'
others which might be pointed out, af1ora nss
, ! ilc1ent evidenee thu, the elm, il pzope.
planted. may be relied on ft.c hea1tl
= growth. and its gT.ee =1ld eansy are too VIZ
: luuwn to require any setting forth Nhlle 6
. the subject of the iLlu1iuur effect ct too th;s
seen On the east eide Of the avenue just DOR
4 ! Of Ra1.sso street whe1e N effort baa TX
a made to substitute good trees fer poor one
: by planting e1ns, naples, and ash trees und
the eottonvoods, witt the intention. probabl
|, Of removing the latter when the former h:
: STAINED sufficient Ere. very sltHht 1ns2e
q ton will reveal the forlo.u and pitfn resu
' , and ought to eerve ss lesson to others, but
q VII not Even in tho country we znay g
n continually, eve1greens planted in the aha
= any beauty Of growth will ever
= ATTAINED Is them. The maple does not see
IS generally to attain such vigorous and heait
IL growth ss 70 warrant an extensive uRa Of
y for street. p,sptiug. At the southwest corn
n Of Wabash avenue and Peck court is tna {
:. eloec healthy color and dense fohsEe rend
"a it ! beautiful And attractive object but thrf
=. fourths OF Ill the naples are thin Of foLae