The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-07-17
The 1Rsss oE WASHINGTON.


A"Bhiuccnt hoauits OF Systematic Ar
horticulture at the Federal Capital.
In no city in the United States, and
perhaps in the world, has arboriculturo,
as a means Of urban establishment, been
more intelligently employed and with
more gratifying results than in Washing
ton. The favorable spring weather has
developed all the natural beauties Of the
choice selection of deciduous and ever
green trees and shrubs which beautify
not only the great parks, squares and
circles of the capital, but the curb lines
Of the broad avenues which sweep up in
beautiful ranges of vision towards the
massive public edifices or form magnifi-
cent vistas along streets busy with the
activities of trade. The work of the
parking commission, under the auspices
of the municipal government, began in
1872, thus aifording fourteen years of
practical test Of the sagacity Of their
plans and the fruits of their labor.
Washington, even in this brief space,
surpasses Paris, Vienna or Berlin in the
number, variety and beauty of its trees.
In the commencement of their work
the commission selected trees possessing
stateliness and symmetry of growth ex-
pansive foliage, early spring verdure
and autumnal variety of colors. In order
to secure a reliable and abundant supply
OF the best varieties and l,' Finest
growth for the future, o. .n ..ting
garden was also established H. 3D. .....f the
public parks occupied By the ,aial and
reformatory institutions of the muqi..ip-
atty, which now contains 80, % ,r,.... Of
the varieties used in different sta Of
growth, from seed to four n.,i live
years.
The returns or the superintendent and
his assistants report 10000 trees along
the curb lines of the avenues and streets
and ranging from five to TWENTY-FIVE
years growth, which includes the old
trees of common varieties, generally cot
tonwoods, which were standing when
the systematic arborcultural adornmeut
OF the capital began. The number stated
does not embrace the artistic groupings
and groves of trees in the 700 acres of
beautiful public parks of the city
Some idea may be formed of the extent
of the lines of trees now shading
the avenues and streets when it
is stated that if all the trees
were stretched out in two rows they
would form an unbroken vista from
Washington to Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New York, and nearly half way to Bos-
ton, or if in single row, would reach
from Washington to within 100 miles of
Chicago. The'annual paintings add from
y OOO 10 z nm %, H. -. =
year before. The varieties which have
been found best suited to streets are the
ash, catalpa, coffee cypress, elm, maid
ems hair, gum, horse chestnut, linden,
locust, maple, oaks, popular, sycamore,
tulip, and willow, according to localities.
The paintings have also been made
with proper regard for certain objective
features. For instance, the famous "Un-
ter den Linden" of Berlin, is less than
mile in length and now more apprecia-
BILE in history than in reality. The "Un-
ter den Linden" OF the Unitod States
capital is Massachusetts, avenue.
This superb sweep of residences, statues
and fountains, and even through its more
sparsely settled portions to its terminus
on the banks Of the Anacostia, presents
four miles of vigorous and stately young
lindens twenty to thirty feet high. The
connections with streets and avenues
similarly planted will in few years give
the "Unter den Linden" of Washington
a circuit of twelve miles The other av-
enues and streets, whether devoted to
business or residence, have also their
characteristics of foliage. The naples
and catalpas of Pennsylvania avenue,
the elms of New Jersey, New Hamp-
shire, New York and Delaware avenues,
the tulips of North and South Capital
streets, the meridian of the United States;
the naples of Maryland, Connecticut and
Vermont avenues, and the poplars of
Virginia avenue give but a partial idea
of what the trees of Washington will
add to the landscape effects of the nations
capital in another Misunderstanding
Cor Philadelphia Times.