.January 6, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



if. 



MOVING A LARGE OAK. 



James Garthly, gardener for H. H. 

 Rogers, Fairhaven, Mass., has com- 

 pleted the task of moving a large 

 English oak, for a distance of 100 

 feet, to a more favorable position upon 

 the lawn. 



The operation was performed by 

 digging around and under the tree, 

 placing 12-inch beams under the ball 

 and raising the mass and drawing it 

 to its new position by means of screw 

 jacks and windlass. The tree has a 

 diameter of 27 in., a height of 40 ft., 

 and spread of branches 45 ft.; the 

 estimated weight is fifteen tons. 



In lifting the tree it was found that 

 about four feet below the surface of 

 the ground was a bed of granite which 

 cropped up nearly to the surface, 

 about six feet from the trunk of the 

 tree on three sides; while on the fourth 

 side, four feet from the tree was a 

 cemented wall. Thus the root area 

 was circumscribed; for with the excep- 

 tion of eight comparatively small 

 roots which ran out to a distance of 

 thirty feet into the lawn, but which 

 carried no feeders except upon the 

 extreme ends, it appeared that the 

 tree had grown in a basin; and it was 

 lifted with practically no disturbance 

 of its root system. The eight roots 

 spoken of were carefully unearth d, 

 wrapped in hay and hung up in the 

 tree. The weather has been favorable 

 for the operation and the eventual suc- 

 cess of the work will be of great in- 

 terest to all who are interested in 

 arboriculture. 



The moving of this fickle tree with 

 the chances of success, brings to mind 

 the subject of the value of Quercus 

 Robur as an ornamental tree. When 

 grown as a specimen or lone tree un- 

 der favorable conditions the sturdy 

 limbs and majestic form of the Qurr- 

 cus Robur justify its claim to the title 

 of King of trees. 



As an ornamental tree in Massachu- 

 setts, it is not without its failings in- 

 asmuch as it suffers from the effects 

 of extreme cold weather. The trunk 



invariably, and sometimes the larger 

 limbs, split, causing an unsightly 

 suture or protuberance which detracts 

 si mewhat from the beauty of the tree. 

 When the thermometer registers near 

 to 10 below zero the cleft in the trunk 

 opens so wide that a stick the thick- 

 ness of a man's finger may be inserted, 

 and closes with the return of warmer 

 weather. The cleft extends to the 

 heart of the tree rendering it useless 

 as timber. 



Sonic authorities give the probable 

 life of the English oak as fifty years. 

 But if planted upon well-drained soil 

 i for in wet or swampy places it will 

 not do well), we may reasonably hope 

 for better things than this. The tree 

 which Mr. Garthly has moved was 

 grown from one of a number of acorns 

 brought from England by the late 

 Warren Delano, of Fairhaven, in the 

 fall of 18CC. A number of seedlings 

 were raised and at 2 or 3 years old 

 were transplanted in their present posi- 

 tions: none of these trees at the 

 present time show signs of deteriora- 

 tion. 



Upon a neighboring estate there are 

 a number of English oaks planted by 

 the same Mr. Delano, the planting of 

 which was of an earlier date, as they 

 did not spring from the acorns brought 

 over in 18C6. Two or three show evi- 

 dent signs of decay but among them 

 are several fine trees one of which has 

 a ilia meter of 29 inches and a spread 

 of branches of G5 feet and appears to 

 be in the best of health. 



The Quercus Robur in this country 

 is a rapid grower and quickly develops 

 a fine shape and if the life of it be only 

 fifty years I think it will compare fav- 

 orably with many other imported 

 trees; but if we would plant for 

 posterity or would duplicate the 

 veteran oaks of Merrie Sherwood we 

 must rely upon our native oaks. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Elm City Nursery Co., New Haven, 

 Conn. — Trade price list of surplus 

 stock. 



Jensen & Dekema, Cnicago, send out 

 a folder with price list of rooted-cut- 

 ting carnations for season of 1905-06. 



Boddington's Seeds, Spring 1906, is 

 the title of a very artistic illustrated 

 catalogue received from Arthur T. 

 Boddington, New York City. The 

 cover is a departure and a strikingly 

 good one. 



From George E. Dickinson, 1 Broad- 

 way, New York, comes the most beau- 

 tiful calendar of the season. The 

 Children of the Prairie, with selections 

 from Hiawatha, are artistically por- 

 trayed in rich colors. It is a gem. 



Wm. Elliott & Sons, 201 Fulton 

 street, New York — Annual seed cata- 

 logue, Outh issue. Has a handsome 

 colored cover, is full of the cream of 

 seedsmen's stock, and offers a tempt- 

 ing list of flower and vegetable seed 

 novelties. 



Joseph Breck & Sons, 47 to 54 North 

 Market street, Boston. Annual de- 

 scriptive catalogue of high-grade seeds. 

 A comprehensive list, including regu- 

 lar stocks and novelties in flower, 

 vegetable and forage seeds, agricul- 

 tural implements, bulbs, poultry sup- 

 plies, fertilizers and everything that 

 horticulturalist or farmer can wish for. 



Cottage Gardens Co., Queens, N. Y. 

 — Peony catalogue for fall, 1905. A 

 price-list of the unsurpassed collection 

 under culture at Cottage Gardens, with 

 full cultural directions and advice as 

 to most desirable varieties for all pur- 

 poses. Also the Cottage Gardens 

 Nursery Book for 1905-06. A very 

 complete list of hardy ornamental 

 trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. 



J. M. Thorburn & Co., New York. 

 One hundred and fifth annual cata- 

 logue of high-class seeds. Few houses 

 in this country can point to 104 years 

 of continuous existence and prosperity. 

 The catalogue now sent out is charac- 

 teristic of this well-known house, 

 sterling from cover to cover. An ar- 

 tistic conventional arrangement of 

 carnations adorns the first cover, and 

 on the other outside is a colored plate 

 of Noroton Beauty Potato. 



GREENHOUSES BUILDING AND 

 PROJECTED. 



North Woburn, Mass. — Adam I 

 ter, one house. 



Auburn, Me.— Charles E. Shackley, 

 one house. 



Stratford, Conn.— C. D. Mills, addi- 

 tion to house, 7iixi'u. 



Manchester, Conn. — John Cheney, 

 one house. 



cH. 



45~ls^~0^> 



[U'UixA \ _, 



LIST OF PATENTS. 



Issued December 26, 1905. 



808,464. Fruit Cutter and PittPr. 

 King T. Lynn, Fresno, 

 Cal, assignor of one-half 

 to A. Mocker, San Fran- 

 cisco, Cal. 



