SHADE TREES FOR STREETS
In the middle ages it was accounted an act of piety to make or maintain
a road or a bridge, or to do anything in connexion with them that would
conduce to the safety or comfort of the wayfarer. The planting of trees
for shade, or the placing of a shaded bench for rest came within the
same category of pious works. In our days, when rush and hurry and the
pressure of business, and the worship of bare utility fill the minds of
most men, there are many who have almost forgotten the gracious aspects
of the more leisurely life. It is probably from this cause that so many
opportunities are lost that might be seized by those in authority for
making the lives of our fellow-creatures somewhat easier and pleasanter.
In days of extreme heat what a difference in comfort there would be
between the bare sun-baked expanses of the streets of many a town, such
as we all know, and the same spaces carefully planted with shade-giving
trees! In very narrow streets trees are, of course, out of the question,
or in any street whose width is not enough to allow of easy traffic and
trees as well, but one cannot walk through any town, except the very few
in which the question has already been considered and satisfactorily
answered, without seeing many a street or waste space or corner where a
row or a group or even a single tree would not add immensely to both
beauty and comfort. Where there is plenty of width, and especially where
houses fall back a little from the road, the trees may well stand just
within the edge of the footpath or pavement. Should there be still more
width, there may be a row in the middle of the road. In this case the
middle row of trees should not be quite evenly continuous, but perhaps
five or six trees and then a gap, formed by leaving out one tree, in
order to allow the traffic to move from side to side of the road. In
many a town where a street runs north-east and south-west, a row of
trees on its south-western side only might be an inestimable boon.
Even in country villages there is often a bare place, especially where
roads meet, where a few trees well planted and a plain strong oak bench
would be a comfort and a pleasure to many hardworking folk, and might be
the means of converting unsightliness into beauty.
[Illustration: _PLANE TREE (Platanus orientalis)._]
For towns the Plane has the best character, but other good trees are
Wych Elm and Hornbeam, Sycamore, Maple, Lime, Lombardy Poplar, and Horse
Chestnut. The spreading growth of the Horse Chestnut commends it rather
for a space like the _place_ of a foreign town. Here is also the place
for Limes, for though they are good street trees, yet when in bloom the
strong, sweet scent, although a passing whiff is delicious, might be
an annoyance if poured continuously into the windows of houses during
the blooming time.
The Wild Cherry, with its quantity of early bloom, would be a beautiful
street tree, and in places where trees of rather smaller growth are
desired there is the Bird Cherry and the Mountain Ash. The large
American Mountain Ash is a good street tree, in autumn loaded with its
handsome bunches of scarlet fruit.
The larger Willows are also charming trees for streets. Many of the
trees named, if their tops spread too near the houses, may, with good
effect, be pollarded about 10 feet from the ground.