FORESTRY. 215 



the emperor of Russia. He told him that he had called for 

 the purpose of presenting to him an acorn that he had gath- 

 ered from ]Mt. Vernon, the home of Washington. The 

 acorn was very graciously received, and the emperor said to 

 Mr. Sumner, — "If you will accompany me to the garden, 

 I will plant the acorn with my own hands," and it was done. 

 A number of years afterwards, when the Grand Duke Alexis 

 visited this country, he brought with him some leaves from 

 the oak that had grown from this acorn and presented them 

 to Senator Sumner. 



In regard to planting the oak, it is readily grown from 

 the acorn, but it has a root whose tendency is to go down- 

 ward. It is a better way to plant oaks in nursery rows, or in 

 beds, and then, in transplanting, to plant Ihera in rows after 

 attaining one year's growth, and have at the bottom of the 

 trench a board, so as to prevent those roots from goino- 

 down very deep, and cause them to strike off in a hori- 

 zontal direction. There is no sort of difficulty in planting 

 the oak or the hickory. 



Then there is the tulip tree, which has not been spoken 

 of, which is one of the most beautiful trees that grows in 

 New England. It has a very succulent root and it should 

 be planted on a board in order to be transplanted afterwards 

 with safety. 



I do not desire to take up your time, for I know you are 

 getting tired ; but I have had a trip this afternoon about this 

 beautiful town ; getting, I might say, my first glance at 

 these old hills of Berkshire, which seem to me to be cov- 

 ered to the very tops with fine ornamental and useful trees. 

 I noticed among them the pine, the oak, the maple and the 

 elm in great abundance. 



The Chairman. I am very certain that Col. Wilson did 

 not tell us all he could tell about forest trees this mornin<r. 

 The audience would like to hear something further from him 

 this evening. 



Col. Henry W. Wilson. I do not feel that it is quite 

 right, when a man is in a convention like this, to be backward 

 in doing his share. I have this disadvantage, you under- 

 stand, gentlemen, in attempting to talk upon the subject of 

 raising trees, that I have had no experience in that direc- 



