Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-12
CHOICE IN SHADE TREES.
Some Varieties Better Suited to Lawns
than to Streets.

choice should he governed by the pur-
pose they are expected to serve. Some,
as experience has shown, are suitable
for lawn decoration, but are disap-
pointing when planted upon the street;
| others are typical shade trees. but app
parcntlv have none of the desirab BILE
| qualities that recommend them for the
| lawn.
On the street symmetry and grace
are sought: on the grounds surround
| ing homes more interest attaches to
the oddities furnished by the nursery
men. In the one case is the anxiety
| to secure the best effect produced by
trees when planted in continuous rows;
i'm the other each tree is independent or
its surroundings. and valued because
Of its own distinguishing character
| istics. On the street uniformity; on
the lawn diversity.
Tho American elm heads the list as
a typical shade tree for street plant
| ing. There is exquisite grace in It's
mode of branching. The trunk soon
divides into several sub-trunks similar
| i'm size. and these divide and sub
divide into like parts till the outer
branchlets become almost spraylike in
l
| let's all curve outward with the SYM
metry and grace of Il great fountain III
| play. The perspective Of an avenue
planted with these trees from end to
eEd, and all alike in size and equally
| spaced, is superbly beautiful. The
flowers of the elm. although quite
| small. are unusually interesting be-
cause Of their early opening in the
spring even preceding the leaves IN
their development.
| The sugar maple has many good
| qualities for street planting. Inc
numerous slender branches that spring
! from the central trunk have constant
upward tendency in their growth ana
| perfect symmetry is always pre-
| served. The leaves are delicate III
| their texture and pleasing in Outline.
| In early spring there is great pro-
| fusion Of delicate flower clusters that
hang in long silken tasseis from every
| branchlet. and these are followed
with the twin seed pods that charac-
| teriZe all the naples. In the autumn
| there is Il display in leaf coiorinS'
| combining all shades of orange. yellow
| and scarlet, that is not surpassed by
! any other tree.
The linden, both the American and
the European, are worthy of more
prominent place upon our streets than
has hitherto been given them. Their
! system of branching is pleasing, ana
| they are especially interesting when in
| flower on account of the curious rib
| bon-like bracts to which the blossoms
are attached. Our native species is
| the more rapid grower of the two. but
| its near relative, that comes to us
| from across the seas. develops more
| symmetricaiiy. The European linden
| is often so regular in its cOne-shaped
| outline that there is sometimes a dis
position to consider its form the re-
suit Of the skillful use of the pruning
| shears.
The Norway maple was one of the
Earliest tree immigrants brought to this
country. but so well has it accommo-
Idatea itself to the changed conditions
of it's new home that 10 native growth
can surpass it in all the qualities de-
sired for street planting. Its early
growth is slow. but there is COM
pensation for this in the interesting
Ifact hat the winter buds terminating
4 the branches instead of being single.
doubling the number Of branches for
the new seasons growth. 1t is disposed
to begin throwing out its branches
rather low. but this tendency can be
corrected by .iudicious lruning. The
general direction Of growth of these
spreading limbs is lateral. in marked
contrast with the habit in this respect
of it's near relative. the sugar maple.
eral contour is pleasing. The blossoms
and the fruit are interesting features.
Our plane tree. more Familiarity
known as the buttOnwool. is frequently
used for lawn planting. where sufficient
space can be spared for ,ts full develop
ment. 1t. however. is too massive and
its limbs have too wild, spread for
street use. The Latin name for this
tree is Platanus oceidentalis, or the
western plane.
Another species of this tree is native
of the far East and It has received the |
appropriate name Of PlatanuS orr |
entails. meaning the eastern plane. !
This oriental cousin of our buttonwood |
is becoming quite popular for street |
planting. It's branching is more SYM |
metric al than that of ours and the head |
is better filled. This species has the |
same interesting habit as ours of she'd |
ding its weathcr-stained bark in irregu- |
lar patches. thus revealing the grayisn-l
green or creamy-whiIe of the new
growth beneath. These many shades OF
color. separated by sharp divisional
lines. give to the plane :. picturesque
effect not possessed by any other tree.
The ginkgo is another importation
from the far East. japan has fur
nished America with mahy interesting
and curious trees. but the ginkgo or
salisburia, as it is frequently called, is
the most remarkable of ali. 1t has
continuous central trunk. from which
its long, slender. straight branches
shoot out Mt odd intervals. The leaf,
however. is its most peculiar feature.
In outline and venation it is an exact
Irritation of the frond Of the maiden
hair fern. This tree has Leen planted
upon the streets of soma of our cities