Ornamental and Shade Trees 



A Dcpartiiu-iit for tlir . Idi'icc mill liistnictioii of M I'liihrrs of the . liiwiiiaii Forestry Association 



1m)iti:ii i!V J. j. Levisun, \'...\.. .M.F. 

 Arhoricultunst Brooklyn Pork Ih-partnicnt. Author of "Studies of Trees." and Leetnrer on Ornamental and 



Shade Trees, Vale Uni7'ersity Forest School 



COMMON SENSE LABELS ON PARK TREES 



T 



111''. ii;norancc uf main- pciiplc regarding the trees 

 in their uwn hack yard has long been a subject 

 iif regret to the favored few well \ersed in 

 arboriculture. While it is well known that this ignorance 

 niav be o\erconie bv a visit to botanical gardens or pre- 

 serves, where e.xperts are expected to have information 

 on such subjects posted at conspicuous places, it has not 

 always been the custom to make public parks do duty as 

 a school of instruction. 



Popular interest in trees, hnwever, has of late greatl\- 

 increased and park ofticials have in ccinse(|uence begun 

 to take notice of various means of meeting this interest. 



.\ knowledge of the common tree species of the locality 

 was recognized to be one of the fund.anicnlals to begin 

 with. That knowledge had U> be given in the easiest 

 and simplest way because many citizens find it too nuich 

 trouble to go to a botanical garden U> Inul out. If they 

 ciiuld be enlightened unconsciously, as it were, when 

 the\- go to or from their day's work, they would have no 

 objection. (Jn the contrary, they would be inclined to 

 welcome anv acquirement of knowledge that did not 

 entail loss of time and money at an era when the high 

 cost of li\-ing makes the i|uest of dollars rank higher than 

 that of knowledge, of youth and of hapjiiness. 



^'ears ago requests began to come to the I'.iooklyn 

 I'ark Department's office regarding the labeling of trees 

 in the public parks. We then endeavored to comply with 

 the evident public demand for instruction of the "he 

 who nms may read" variety. .\t that time the depart- 

 ment manufactured some labels b\ stamping lead plates 

 and attached them to park trees with generous impar- 

 tialit\ in an attempt to ct.iver all e.xtra species as well as 

 native ones with useful as well as ornamental informa- 

 tion. In many parks this system of labeling the e.xtra 

 species burdened the busy public with too nian\- names 

 ,-ind details, requiring for the a\erage pedestrian the use 

 of a pocket dictionary and not assisting him one whit in 

 the knowledge of that (jne particular tree which .adorned 

 his I iwn back ^ ard. 



We therefore had to de\ ise a new Libel which would 

 not inimediatel\- become lost, strayed or stolen because 

 of their lead valuation, .and ,i (|uantity of real, practical 

 knowledge posted in the ]iarks for general dissemination. 

 'The system which has now been adopted by the depart- 

 ment differs from that of the botanical gardens, in that 

 il confmes itself to inn of the most common trees — the 

 Ion which evervone ought to know. 



This label is a simple, enameled label, brief in context, 

 thoroughly legible and without the special information 

 usually put on labels informing the Ijeholder of the tree's 

 family, localit}' and other details. 



The n(.imenclature used is the latest and dates on best 

 authorities. < )nly the common and liotanical names of 

 the tree appear upon the labels. 



O 



FLOWERING DOGWOOD 



CORNUS FLORIDA 



o 



h'ollowing our custom of dwelling upon the special 

 characteristics by which almost every tree may be recog- 

 nized at all seasons of the year, rather than by less per- 

 manent features, the trees were labeled in winter time 

 and identilicatioii based upon these permanent charac- 

 teristics and not upion leaves. 



T.ark authorities always find that the public takes a real 

 interest in the matter. The people readily respond to 

 their efforts to give information in this manner and there 

 is seldom ;i time when a stroll through such labeled parks 

 will not result in seeing quite a number of people pause, 

 read the labels and then look closely at the characteristics 

 of the tree. It is a \-ery good thing, for the simple reason 

 that knowledge and recognition of trees by their detail 

 characteristics and the ability to tell them apart stimu- 

 lates ,a broader interest in nature and exervthing that is 

 beautiful. .\i\ interest of this sort in the young may 

 prove the root of higher civic pride and may lead to 

 greater civic dexelopment. 



( )ui- common trees are so constantly about us that 

 knowledge of a few inevitably broadens out to a more 

 extensi\e knowledge of many so that soon, instead of 

 looking upon trees as meaningless objects, they become 

 individuals, each with a definite character of its own, and 

 much jileasure is derived without the exi)enditure of 

 extra time for these obserwations. 



Klfii 



