The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-18
PROF. MASSEY ON TREES.
He Takes Issue With Mr.. Mccarthy
as to Sugar Naples.
Raleigh, February II, 19W

ds W sugar MdpleS'
Raleigh, February II, 1900.
To the Editor: In your Sunday edi-
ton l notice some remarks on street
trees by Mr.. Mccarthy, with which in
the main | have no fault to find. But
50 far as I have observed there have
been no silver NAPLES planted in late
years on the Raleigh streets. Acer Sac
charunum is the Sugar maple and there
is no hettor troe grn'r. az Glade t.aa
and none more exempt from insect at
tacks. Acer Dasycarpum, the Silver
maple is poor street tree from its strag-
Cling habit and the brittleness Of its
wood that causese it to be damaged
easily by storms. The only fault as
street tree that the Sugar maple has is
that it is inclined to spread too much
horizontally. The Silver maple is very
liable to be attacked by the cottony
maple louse, but this does not occur
every year, and the Sugar maple is not
near so apt to be attacked. The oaks
which Mr. McC. mentions are good, es
pecially the willow oak and the wac.
oak. The variety of Q. Laurifolia,
known as the Darlington oak, is about
ing/ One tree which Mr.. McC recon
mends is not only bad tree for st ett
planting but is the most perSlstent,y III
tested by insects Of all the trees we
grow. This is the Catalpa Its spread
ing and struggling habit is against it,
and then it is certain TO be antitnly de-
f0liated twice every summer by the
Catalpa moth. or rather by lis 1t arvat
After trying in vain to keep these IN
sectS off by spraying, | have destroyed
the only one we had on til" college
grounds, and am going to root out one in
my lawn at home which has gotten To
be an unbearable nuisance from the null
titude of caterpillars. PauloWnia is lit
tie better than Catalpa, and is n very
short lived tree, and the dirtiest Of all
trees from its habit of retaining the seed
pods till they gradually decay and fall
which they do at any time. Parlownia
is only desirable az a specimen tree in
large grounds. The Ashes would be
good street trees but for the fact thar
they tco are inveterately infested by in
sects that make them dsagreeable. The
1ullp tree is q magnificent tree GUd one
Of the Doblest Of our forest rs. But
| would not recommend il for street
planting for it will not thrive with its
roots confined under dry payem2nts ana
when it has Il chance to grow it grows
too large for the street in Paw years.
The American Linden or BaSSWD)d Is y
far better tree for the street. Ihe
Sweet Gum is SO common that most pro.
PIE overlook its beauty. | consider il
one OF the very best street trees. Some
Sweet Gums which | planted on the col
lege lands few years ago are getting
to be very handsome trees. The Allan
tus tree is handsome tree and would
hc fine street tree but for the fact that
it Is almost impossible to get any but the
male or pollen bearing trees, and the
0dOr Of their flowers is very sickpning
We have now a better tree Of siniiar
habit of growth and grace of foliage
which has not this defect This tree i
the Cedrela SinenSis and as its name .r..
dlcatcs, comes from the same country,
China. as the Ailantus We have some
On the college grounds that are d. IN.
finely. II will however take q iong ,:p-
to persuade the people of Raleigh ,hat
they have made any mistake in planting
Sugar NAPLES, for they have tried I'll, III
long enough to know them thlf0ughlr
On streets like lIillsboro. where the
wide part of the street has Il border be-
tween the pavement and the curb it
would be pretty to place rows Of small
growing Conifers between the shade
trees, allowing them OF course to branch
from the ground. Berckmans' DWARF
Golden Biota is just the thing for this
purpose. and some of the japanese Ret
inisporas would also do well. II the
street planting was put in the hands OF
competent landscape gardener it would
be in the end saving of money and
great improvement Of the town.
Yours.
W. +. MASSEY,
Botanist and Horticulturist y c. FIX
pertinent Station,