Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-10
TREES FOR RoApsIDEs.
Many Reasons Why Small Varieties Are
tho Most Advantageous.

INC nhosb Advantageous
At the meeting of the Summit county
TO- Horticultural society President
Sperry suggested good idea for road
side planting, which was to use trees
that at maturity are small. The ques-
ton arose upon the recommendation of
MIR. c. y. Gaylord, committee on orna
mental planting, to use the beautiful
American crab as lawn tree, urging
that there was no tree that was more
beautiful than this when covered with
its blushing buds and very fragrant
flowers. An exhibition by the writer
of some rose-colored blossoms of the
large lowered dogwood (cornus florida),
called attention to another small-siZed
tree of great beauty and value as an
ornamental tree, which is yearly grow
ing more scarce in the forests owing
to the fact that its small size and slow
growth make it of little economic value.
Mr.. Sperry truly said that there were
serious objections to planting large
trees along the roadsides. They pre-
vented the rapid drying of the mud
in early spring and late fall, besides
seriously shading the land on adjoining
farms. Such medium or small-siZed
trees as the crab and dogwood were not
open to these objections. The sugges-
ton seems to be an excellent one. ]
have long been of the opinion that in
many places the room of naples and
elms was much preferable to their con-
pany along the roadsides. There are
only three months in the year when
roadside shade is of value, and this
only applies to roads which run in an
easterly and westerly direction.
Another practice which l hope will
in time die out, is that of planting large
trees along the sidewalk in front of
houses. In almost every plan l have
been called upon to furnish for door
yard improvement this feature is in
sisted upon, and coupled with the prac-
tee of putting houses quite close to
the road makes it almost impossible to
plan the lawn with any sort of taste.
\ maple tree whose branches in a few
years will push 25 feet into a yard
where the house is only 40 feet from
the street line, leaves little room for
anything except small shrubbery which
does not mind shade and drip of larger
growths.
Among small-sized trees besides the
two mentioned are several more very
desirable ones. The red bud, Halesia,
or silver bell, European mountain ash,
Negundo or ash-leafed maple, nettle
tree, cut-leaved weeping birch, cut
leaved alder. and the double hawthorns.
the single being too common to war
rant planting. The pawpaw and sassa-
fras come under this head, and their
suckering habits make them undesira-
BILE to plant anywhere except where
a constant use of the lawn mower keeps
the sprouts in check. Among shrub
berry which almost reach the dignity OF
trees in height, but cannot be classed
as shade trees, may be mentioned the
syringa grandifora, the white lilac, the
purple fringe, the common SNOWFALL
and the white fringe or chinanthus.
The more general use Of some of the
small trees and large shrubs in place
of the very large ones would be great
advance upon the present practice of
using the largest trees, even i'll places
of considerable eXtent.-L. 3. Pierce,
in Ohio Farmer.