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13 



CHICAGO, JANUARY 15, 1895. 



Single Copy 



10 Cents. "^O- 57- 



AVENUE OP PIN OAKS IN FAIRMOUNT PARK. PHILADELPHIA 



Trees and Shrubs. 



flVBNUE OP riN OAKS IN FAIRMOUNT PARK, 

 PfllLflDElPfllfl. 



Tlii.s avenue of pin oak, (Qiierctis palus- 

 tns) attracts the attention of everv lover 

 of trees who visits the jiark. Tlie trees 

 add interest to thegrounds and well befit 

 the broad avenue along which they are 

 placed, indeed they proclaim to everj-- 

 body how appropriate thev are for 

 avenues of this kind. These svmmetrical 

 trees are not old. Mr. Charles H. Miller, 

 the landscape gardener, tells me thev were 

 planted about the year 1881. They were 

 slim trees of about ten feet in height and 

 with a stem not over one and one-half 

 inches in diameter at that time, so that 

 their present size has been gained in about 

 thirteen years. I find thev are now from 

 twenty-five to thirty feet 'in height, with 

 a spread of branches of about thirtv feet 



in diameter, a good showing. The trunks 

 average about one foot in diameter. The 

 large tree in the centre of the picture be- 

 hind therowof oaksontheright.is atulip 

 poplar (LiriodendrontuUpitera); its rapid 

 growth, large green leaves and smooth 

 bark well recommendit for park planting. 



Pin oak trees have become favorite 

 with planters about this city, in a great 

 measure because of the success of the park 

 trees, and also because it has come to be 

 known that this oak transplants almost 

 as easily as maples do. I <lo not think 

 the park lost a tree of the many in this 

 avenue. 



In planting these trees, a cart load of 

 soil was dug out where each tree was to 

 go, and good soil, composed of turfy 

 loam and well decayed manure, was sub- 

 stituted for it. The ti-ees were carefully 

 dug and closel3- pruned, so close indeed 

 that but little more than what looked 

 like poles were left. As the trees were set 

 and the earth thrown in the earth was 

 firmly pounded in about the roots, until 



all was solidly filled in. I do not know if 

 these trees were watered, but it is often 

 of great advantage, as it carries thetarth 

 closely to the roots, for which [lurpose 

 the pounding and ramming is done. This 

 was in fall, and after the planting was 

 finished, a cart load of soil was heaped up 

 around the trunk of each tree, both to 

 keep out the frost from the roots and to 

 keep the trees from being blown about in 

 gales of wind. This mound of earth is a 

 most useful thing. The keeping of the 

 roots in unfrozen soil through the winter 

 is of great benefit to the tree. When 

 spring came the mounds were taken 

 awa3'. 



The pin oak is anexeellentone forstreet 

 planting. There are some in the built up 

 portion of this city which thrive well. 

 It is easily transplanted, has finelv 

 divided, shining green leaves, and when 

 late fall comes its foliage changes to. a 

 light scarlet. As the branches have a 

 drooping tendency it does not require as 

 much space as the red and some other 



