ESTABROOK PARK 



A 



N experiment in private forertry 



which should encourage others 



who have similar opportunities 



is told for American Forestry 



by Mr. J. A. Estabrooks of Boston. 



He writes : 



"On retiring from business in 1889 

 at the age of 36, I went for a holiday 

 to Tryon, N. C, among the Blue Ridge 

 Mountains, 40 miles south of Asheville 

 and 2 miles from the South Carolina 

 border. Things in 1889 were very 

 primitive at Tryon. Continuing to 

 visit that region, in the winter of 1894 

 I bought 36 acres of forest land at a 

 low price. It was the usual unsightly 

 collection of uncared for trees. 



"I applied the treatment of improve- 

 ment cutting and bonfires of the debris 

 for several winters, until at last even 

 a native mountaineer called my place 

 'the best stand of trees in Polk 



County.' In 1894 hardly anyone knew 

 what forestry meant. The usual op- 

 position argument was 'Why! it takes 

 100 years to grow a tree.' 



"In 1914 I sold the 36 acres at an 

 excellent profit, partly owing to the 

 popularity of Tryon as a resort, and 

 obtained the guarantee of a continuous 

 stand of trees under forestry treatment. 

 A condition was kindly attached by the 

 purchaser, Mr. J. L. Washburn of 

 Duluth, Minnesota, that the w^oods 

 should be named as a park after me. 

 There is a great variety of trees on the 

 Park, the Tulip tree being especially 

 in evidence." 



The accompanying pictures show 

 views of Mr. Estabrooks land taken 

 some years ago. The condition of the 

 trees on it has been greatly improved 

 since then and now the stand is a most 

 attractive one. 



Estabrooks P.a.rk from Tryon, N. C. 

 a view of the park in the left middle ground from one edge of the town. the approach of the town 



to it added somewhat to the increase in its value 



816 



