Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-05

fuses to do duty as a curbstone tree Like
All Arab steed hitched to a dray. it rebels,
with pc vement to the right of 1t, pave
ment 10 the left of 1t and a curbstone bar
ricade in front Of II. How can it develop
that beauty for which it is so famous?
Vermont avenue and H street west of the
war Department were planted with this
tree, but 1t is anything but a success. A
beautiful avenue Of sixty trees brought as
small trees from the mountains of Ken
lucky and planted from the mansion to
the spring of Francis p. Blair (llis place
being known as Silver Spring. General
Jacksons great friend and my earliest
friend in Washington. fiourished srandly
1or twenty-five or thirty years. Then all
at once they lost heart and died; just why
am unable to say. A Norway maple /
planted as substitute for one killed by ac-
cruen1 sun thrives. There are some good
specimens in the Smithsonian grounds, not
iar from the monument to Mr.. Downing
In well-drained, naturally good ground
planted there under his direction.
Valuable Varieties.
Inc two planted in the flled-up ground
In the Botanic Garden also lost heart and
dled; while black sugar adjoining them
is one OF the handsomest trees in the gar
den. They were planted thirty years ago.
Inc Norway maple is one of the best curb
stone trees, less self-asserting than some
others, but selected for 10th street which
leads from the Presidents mansion TO the
north District line, distance of six miles
Inc avenue is one hundred and sixty feet
wlde. For the parking it was my privilege
10 present the beautiful Leriodendron or
tuilp trees. with which 1t is planted, to the
city. This street is, we believe, to be
caied Executive avenue. If the trees are
Wen cared for. 1t will make the handsom-
est avenue In Washington. The tulip tree
IS not. in my opinion, a good curb tree
But permit me to introduce one 1 think is
among the best as a curb tree-Ginkgo of
the Japanese, Salisburia adiantofoIia, or
of bnfan {cye
these interesting trees have flourished in
washington for sixty years or more apart
however. and being unisexual no seed was
produced. we were two years roofing
hardwood cutting, and have a good tree
thus propagated. Mr.. Jardine, French
man. an importer Of trees and shrubs sold
10 the British legation two Ginkgos to
plant each side of the port cochere. He
charged $3.50 apiece for them. The bill
was disputed. and we were made referee
The matter was compromised at IS EACH
Shortly after, when searching for street
trees, We visited Hoops Brothers &
Thomas, West Chester, Pa. Walking
through the nursery with my friend, Jo-
siah Hoops. we came to a large block of
Ginkgos. There" he says, you know
that's a good thing, but our agents won't
take for it?" 1 asked. I'll take 10 cents
apiece, just to set rid of Them" was his
reply. We barGained for three hundred.
Pierce street Is now planted with them,
and another short street, 111s, just west of
Lafayette Square, where they are not so
fine as on Pierce street, owing to thei:
being robbed by adjoining elms in the
square, and the soil not so good Here
may be seen the effects of planting too
clos nevertheless, they are very fine, and
fruit freely. l nave never seen an insect
ear them. This tree has a very interest
ing Boston history, which we find in Hook
er's Kew Gardens Miscellany, vol. 2 1850
under the heading, 1.-The Ginkgo in Bos-
ton Commons" A Ginkgo tree formerly
stood in a garden belonging to Mr.. Green,
which garden was In the center of Boston.
After his death QS32) the house and
grounds were sold. This tree was removed
at the partial cost of the city each Of Mr..
Green's children paying 500 toward the
expense) 10 the mall encircling the Com
mon, and planted before the windows of
Mrs. GREEN'S house. in which she resided
since her husbands death. The tree is a
native of China, and was Of full size when
Mr.. Green, ST., purchased the garden IN
IDS 1t is now in fine leaf and beauty.
The accompanying lines appeared in the
public papers some months after the
trees removal. DIR. Bigelow is the author.
This poem consists Of fifteen stanzas. We
quote the last:
"And so thou hast survived thy fall,
And fairly disappointed all
Who thought to see thee down;
And better days are stored for thee.
Long shalt thou live. triumphant tree.
And spread thy foliage broad and free,
A credit to the town.
Is this 1ndlV1Qudl tree Stlll triumphant.
If not, how long did it live? Mr.. Downing,
three years afterward, wrote with approval
of the operation of transpianting 1t. He
gave it's height as forty feet and its cir
conference as three feet. How is 1t aow?
A full history would be interesting.
Failure In TraEsplanting.
1 have never been in favor of expanding
large sums of money for moving trees.
even to satisfy public demand. 1 have
g.. IL,
this matter. 1t usually takes a young,
healthy tree about the same time to grow
up as it does large one to die. after be-
ing removed. The experience of the Chi
cago people, years ago, with their high
priced, half-dead trees, Is an example.
Around the national capital with great
care and skill, under the direction of Mr..
Olmstead, liberal sums were expended to
lower and remove large trees. of various
kinds, in considerable number. But none
are left to tell the tale Of their fluctuations,
with the exception of few of the smaller
ones, notably a European walnut, twenty
feet high, twelve inches at the water line;
first raised in a pot from seed grown in
Washington and twice transplanted in the
Botanic Garden, owing to the change Of
grade. 1t was removed to the south side
of the Capitol east, where 1t Is fine tree,
bearing abundantly. Such valuable seeds,
however. are usually secured by the small
boy, much to my chagrin. think harder
trees might thus be obtained. 1t is to be
regretted that the middle states do not take
this matter up. We should not send money
abroad for walnuts. California does not
but freight from there is expensive. Some
Quercus. Macrocarpa and Palustric about
the same size, were also moved. They
have thoroughly recovered and are goodly
trees.
Much more might be written on this sub
ject, but 1t Is enough If l get you to OBJ
serve and think before spending money on
transplanting large trees
The western rock elm, Ulmus racemosa
is a tree worthy more attention. dozen
or more trees as curb trees, mixed with
the other elms, are not attacked by an in
sect. as far as my observation goes. The
two In the Botanic Garden. never. Prof
Sargent, in the London Garden August TO-
1873, writes of this tree as being valuable
for making agricultural implements, its
wood as being susceptible of high polish,
fitted for hard finish. it's heating power
nearly equal to hickory. 1t is a good street
tree.
The "Wha-hoo." Ulmus alata, Is another
not attacked by insects. The first living
specimen Professor Gray ever saw was the
tree dug up in Richmond before the war
1t Is now a large tree, never injured by the
weather. 1t is worthy of trial much farther
north. There are fifty Of this tree in the
streets and parks of our city, too bitter. /
think. for even hungry insects. 1 have