A DECADE OF PRIVATE FOREST PLANTING IN 



PENNSYLVANIA 



BY PROFESSOR J. S. ILLICK 



CHIEF. BUREAU OF SILVICULTURE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY 



TJIIC plaiitiiii; of forest trees in I'eiinsylvaiiia began 

 in 1 7_'iS when John Bartrani acquired a tract of 

 land on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, near 

 Philadelphia, and developed a botanical garden in which 

 he set out many forest trees. White ])ine, bald cypress, 

 Norway .spruce, cucumber, and several species of the 

 oaks were among the most notable species planted. 

 Humphrey Marshall, a cousin of John Bartram, estab- 

 lished a botanical garden at jNlarshallton in 1773 and 

 planted many species of trees and shrubs. The garden 

 was primarily an arboretum, and its founder may be 

 regarded as the Father of American Dendrology. 



The planting of forest trees has been practiced con- 

 tinuously in Pennsylvania since these early beginnings by 

 Bartram and Marshall. At no time did it cease entirely, 

 but it {progressed slowly. Most of the planting took place 

 in gardens, groves, and parks, on estates, and by road- 

 sides and waterways. The real advent of tree planting 

 for forestry purposes by private owners of woodland 

 did not. however, take place until 1910, that is, ten years 



after the Pennsylvania I)ei)artnient nf l''{irc>try began 

 ])lanting trees on the state forests, and had set out over 

 one million seedlings and transjilants. The success of 

 the planting efi'ort on the state forests was heralded 

 across the state, and private owners of idle land began 

 to inquire earnestly about the feasibility of reforesting 

 their holdings. It soon became evident that the time 

 was at hand for the Department to launch a co-operative 

 scheme for the reforestation of thousand of acres of 

 privately owned woodland within the state which were 

 entirely vinproductive, or producing only a small per- 

 centage of their full capacity. .-\n act apjjroved by the 

 Governor on Ajiril _'_>, 11J09. permitted the Department 

 of Forestry to distribute forest tree seedlings for the 

 replanting of woodlands within the state at the cost of 

 production. During the first year (1910) of the working 

 of this scheme, 66,374 small trees were distributed. Five 

 years of co-operative effort in this direction convinced 

 the forestry authorities that fuller co-operation on the 

 jiart of the state was not only justified, but commend- 



fl'olo liy G. II. II 



A 



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PL..\NT.\TION' OF NORW.W SPRL'CE TIIREK VK.\RS ,\FTK R TU K SKKDLl NC.S WEKE SET OUT 

 occupy .in uni'niductivc purtion of a f.-irm. Seedlings supplied by lVimsylv.iiiia Uepartinciit of Forestry. 



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