Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-14
BY +. l.. OI.MSTED.

BY p. l.. OLMSTED.
From the Gardeners Monthly.
Washington has gained more in outward an
pearance during the last half dozen wears than
it had before in half century. 1t now has
forty miles of better pavement than can be
found in any other American town. and which
compares favOrably with any in Europe. This
has made thorough street-sweepine practicable
at small cost, and it results that, though the
city is but poorly supplied with water it is lit
Tie afnicted with dust and is beginning to have
a refreshingiy clean aspect. But your readers
VIII De more interested to know that on lines
bordering these streets there now stand fairly
started, upwards of hundred thousand we'll
lofhled nursery-grown trees. Naples of several
species are the more common. but there are
representations (by the hundred) of at least six
dInerent genera. They are at present but club
headed saplingS. hardly recovered from the
SHOCK OF transportation. fairly settled i'm
their new homes. and show none of the char
acteristic mature beauty of their several fami-
lies. They have as yet. therefore, little value
except as prOmSSOry notes. their growth to be
discounted. Nevertheless, seen as they con-
stantiy are. iii long perspectives of uniform
mass and color, their effect on the city is abso-
luteiy transforming and If all goes well with
them, Washington will In a few years be a new
and @loritied city; capital that Americans NAV
be proud of: supreme at least i'm its street
beauty. whatever monStrOsities in building fate
may have in store for it. 1t can hardly fail in
April and May to become great pleasure resort
But, more than this is to be said: the streets
of Washington Gift all goes well'') will become
national tree-schOol. providing a standard a
stimulus and an incentive for the improvemeut
OF every village and hamlet in the land and it
may be well to add that if those able as your
readers must generally he. to foresee the future
value OF this work will but let their intelligent
applause be heard by members of Congress il
nf cIJcI afacfr
phe. as under our present political customs is
always hanging over every beneticent enterprise
as soon as it is well started. The commission of
thoroughly competent experts, (Smith Saunders,
and Saul, should be warmly and effectively sus-
tanned at every pertinent opportunity.
They have Yet vast barrier of Indifference.
Ignorance and active prejudice to overcome
net against their objects or the results of their
work. but against the essential conditions of
lasting success. Any one who has watched the
various processes by which nine-tenths of all
the street trees planted throughout the country
are Killed, stunted, distorted. mangled and
hardly one in a thousand suffered to attain it's
iuli. natural, manly beauty, will understand
what they mean.
But in spite of what has been gained i'm the
TWO particulars named, in a rapid development
OF gardening decoration and in large addition
OF private dwellings, of more or less elegant
Character. the greater part of Washington. out
side the lines of its public plantations yet retains
mulch OF Its old ante-bellum character as of
slovenly woman here and there bedecked with
trinkets both choice and rubbishy Two of
fences to good taste are at this time particularly
conspicuous, and all the more SO because of the
neat. trig and genuine quality of most of the
new brick, tile and stone work.
The first results from efforts at cheap. tawdrv
and garish display in the establishment of door
yards and lawns; the second from the necessity
which has resulted in the recent grading down
OF streets, of leaving miles of formal earth
works between them and the houses fronting on
them.
The fields about Washington are turfless. and
good turf is only to be had by tedious process
with great care and labor and through the heat
OF summer only by a pr0fIlse command of water
There VIII soon be thousands of houses here
planted on banks from four to ten feet above the
sidewalk. with flat, formal, steep slopes such as
even in the climate OfEngland and with the best
of soil and gardening skill it is hardly possible
to maintain turf upon suitable to carry the eve
up to house OF refined materials and workman
ship. The soil upon these slopes in Washington
is such as one seesin going there from Baltimore
in the railway cuttings a cracking brick CLAW
and gravel, bearing naturally almost nothing
but stunted 'brOOm-sed9e." But were it much
better, proper turf in such situation in the
climate OF Washington would be out of the
question and nothing more incongruOus with
the cut stone and plate glass which often ap-
pears behind it. or more positively dreary and
fOrlorn than what now generally stands upon
them for turf can be imagined. 1t compares
with true turf as ragged and dirty door mat
compares with table napkin. As the arrange
ment has been forced upon the people. and such
banks cannot. in many eases be now avoided
except at great expense and as miles of them
must be brought prominently into view to all
visiting city in which every American has a
responsibility. the question of any generally
available. tidy treatment Of them is one upon
which good advice is greatly needed.
ha bntt
practicable. to break art of rightly mathematical
FORMS to obtain everywhere curving faces and
especially to destroy angular crests. Next
much more liberal use of shrubbery is desirable;
not alone for decorative purposes. but for beau
tIfulfy screening. or throwing into background
retirement banks of dead and ragged grass.
Even screens in the form of low closely trimmed
hedges might be used. As Washington should
appear well in winter they should be of ever
greens; the best. if one had patience. probably
OF tree box or American holly: but it may be OBJ
served that after an exceptionally severe win
terand q fearfully trying summer both views and
retinOsporas of all species and varieties are look
ing very well in Washington.
After all that can be done in this way. how
ever. should not the chief resort be to creepers:
In Europe such banks are sometimes seen COW
cred very perfectly and yet very snugly and
dantily with ivy. They may be seen also dressed
with periwinkle. but it is rarely in good order
Evergreen hOneysuckle would almost surely
Succeeu, out might look 700 rlOtOuS. Has the
evergreen EuOnymus had fair trial as a carpet
carefully spread and pegged? Could anything
be done with creeping jumpers? Perhaps in
some cases it would do to make facing of
rough stone, to be generally Overrun with honey
suckle and clematis. but with breaks and inches
supporting sedums and other dry-rOck plants.
and with Outbursts of yuccas and drOught-en-
during shrubs, as the smaller sumachs and
mahOnias. Suitable stone is to be easily OBJ
tanned about Washington.
Still another expedient that might be admissi-
ole in some situations would be a trellis set ut
the base OF the bank and Of sufficient height to
obscure it without Obstructing the view toward
the house. The trellis to be covered. OF course
with vines. Wire netting stretched on iron
frames, with the simplest possible supports of
iron, would be best. But one of cedar or sassa-
fras poles might better be used than leave the
banks in the present repulsive prominence.
Such material is easily obtained anywhere about
Washington, and it can be easily mOrticed and
wire-bOund together. and perfectly clothed with
evergreen drapery in "a single year. This
would not be beyond the resources of third
class department clerk. a policeman or letter.
Carrier. especially if he had boys to help him
after school.
1t would be of service to the republic If YOU,