The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-21
PICTURESQUE TREES
THIRTY MILES OF CITY STREETS
 ARCHED OVER.
Pride of washington-The Total Number in Use is S3, 3,o72-some of the Specimens-The Thad-
 deus Stevens Tree.
Washington Star.

Washington Star.
 The streets of picturesque Washington aie beautiful and shaded by 3.072 trees, embracing about thirty varieties. and ex- elusive of those in the public parks and private grounds. It is estimated that thirty miles of streets here are arched over completely by American elms. Nor way naples and silver naples. forming a seemingly intending series of Tistas- These figures are from the records of the District parking commission, of which Mir. Trueman Lanham is superintendent. and illustrates to some extent the vast work of that organization. The commis- sion.. to whose wisdom so much of the beauty of Washington is due. commenced to plant trees In the Fall of 1s1z. Prior to that time there had been no organized plan of tree planting, the work being done spasmodically and indinerently by individuals who sought to make attrac- tive the localities in which they had property interests.
 The great majority of the trees thus planted were removed from time to time by the parking commission and replaced by better varieties, less than one thou sand of the original growths being left. A favorite shade tree with some of the time Washingtonians was the allan u us, otherwise familiarly known as the tree of Paradise and by the Chinese called the tree of heaven" Many If these trees were planted along the streets in bygone days. Soon after the creation of the park commission numerous com plaints were made to the authorities against the aiIanthus trees The princi- pal objection to them was the sickening odor they emitted while in flower, which, 1t was claimed, made some persons Ill., An edict was thercupon issued that the ailanthus must go and their destruction began. The last of the old trees was re- moved from the north side of Pennsyl- vania Avenue. just west of Ninth Street. northwest, fifteen years ago. Since that time a few aianthus trees have sprung up in the street parking in several To- calities. This tree grows rapidly and another objection urged against it was that its bulky roots caused damage to the streets and sidewalks by It's uproot- ing tendencies.
 The aianthus tree is not, however. without its virtues. It is regarded as one of the finest shade trees known, and is immune from attacks of caterpillars and other foliage-destroying worms and insects. Horses will not bite its bark and the odor complained of Is only emit ted by the flowers of the male tree, the female being odorless. The Chinese are said to regard the fragrance of the ailanthns as something divine, hence they named it the tree of heaven.'' .'' Certain Indian tribes have a legend that the tree of Paradise was planted by the Great Spirit as a charm against in- sect pests, and they have therefore re- garded the ailanthus with the greatest reverence.
 The records of Superintendent Lanham show. that there are planted along the highways and byways oe Washington the following varieties and numbers of trees: American ash, 735 trees: American elms. 77e5; catalpa Gin street pari<ing). 600: cypress, 26; horse chestnut, 250; Ken trcky coffee trees, 105; American lin- dens, 6.S80; honey locust. 1,050; silver maple, 25390; Norway maple, 7,0S0; red maple, 7.6S0; negundos (box elder). 1000; pin oaks 5S0; red oaks, 417; swamp white oaks, 50; upright English oaks. s2; will low-leaf oaks. 10; Carolina poplars, 5000; Athenian poplars, 750; Turkestara 42: mixed poplars, 1,20o; American planes, 11,065; sweet gums, 23O; ginckos, $40; tulip trees, 2.020; miscellaneous, 300. i
 So complete is the record of the parking commission that the number and location of the several varieties can be given speedily when such information Is re- quired. Some of the points where the choicest varieties can be seen at their best are given. On F Street, northeast
 
 ty archway of Norway naples, which were planted about twenty years ago.
 An innovation in city tree planting is the rows of red oaks arching prettily over Twelfth Street between B Street northwest, and B Street, southwest be- tween the Smithsonian and Department of Agriculture grounds American elms are planted on New Jersey Avenue north of the Capitol Park, also on First Street
 
 tol Park. and on Four-and-a-half Street southward from the City Hall to Wash ington barracks. There is an attractive display of pin oaks on East Pennsylvania Avenue. between Eleventh and Sixteenth Streets. On Thirteenth Street. north of Iowa Circle, can be seen rows of stately horse chestnut trees in full bloom, form ing pretty picture.
 One of the most interesting trees fin the city is the Japanese gincko. formerly known as the maidenhair tree. Those here are the largest ginckos in the United States, except some in San Francisco They can be seen at their best on Pierce Place. between Fourteenth and Sixteenth Streets, and along the main walk leading from Thirteenth and B Streets north west, to the Department of Agriculture This tree is symmetrical and ornate, but it bears pecuiar-smelling fruit, in ap- pearance very much like a persimmon and has never been attacked by insects of any kind. They are much sought for owing to their natural beauty and are propagated In the nurseries of the AKri- cultural Department. many thousands of the small trees being sent annually to all sections of the country. When the ginckos were first planted In the Agri- cultural grounds after their importation from the Orient there was a story cur rent in this city that the earth placed about the roots of the young trees was also brought from Japan to prevent them from dying. This was denied, however by an old Government gardener, who as. sisted in planting them.
 Some fine specimens of the plane tree which were imported, can be seen in the street parking on Indiana Avenue, be- tween Second and Third Streets. also bordering the Pennsylvania and Mary land Avenue entrances to the Capitol grounds. Arched over with silver naples is s Street, looking west from Sixteenth Street. northwest. Another interesting tree is the Kentucky coffee tree, which bears bean similar to the honey locust These trees are of slow growth and not many of them are now handled by the parking commission. there being but 1O5 of the species in the District
 The negundo trees. or box elder. of which there are 900 in the District are