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Juiiuury 9. I!tl5 



Seeds and Bulbs 



5enc/ for Our 

 1915 Spring 

 Catalogue . . . 



YOUR copy (with 

 special prices to 

 florists) is now wait- 

 ing for you. 



Our seeds and bulbs are of 

 special value to those who 

 grow for PROFIT. 



We have been working since 

 the days of Washington and 

 Jefferson in the growing, gath- 

 ering and distribution of the 

 best seeds and bulbs.. 



We have learned a good 

 deal about it, as you will see 

 from the book. 



It will be sent free with 

 special prices to any florist 

 who writes on his letter head 

 or encloses his card. Drop us 

 a postal today. 



J. M. THORBURN & CO. 



ESTABLISHED 1802 



53 Barclay St. throngh to 54 Park Place 

 NEW YORK 





TREE WALKS AND TALKS IN 

 PARKS 

 I)..|h.r..l at U.irlf.ircl iM-for.. (Ii.- .Ni» 

 KiiKl.MKl Turk luKlltiil.-. U.ioli.r -.'J, mil. 

 I.y II W. Ilrailk-. IjiiiOmi ape Kim'liiwr, fur 

 llii' I'lirk l>.>|.artiiifUt of Siirlii|{ll''lil. .Mims. 

 AmoiiK the muny complex phuscs of 

 purii ucllvlty of today Hit- newest Ih 

 perhaps the •WalliliiK Talk on Treex." 

 Nature study in some form has ever 

 been of vital intere.sl to man, at llrsl 

 as a means to live and later also from 

 a sense of love and appreciation of 

 the beauties and the wonders of the 

 outdoor world. Hesides the preserva- 

 tion of the plants and the develop- 

 ment (if the art of gardening, the park 

 departments are taking up the study 

 01 tlie parks as the recreation grounds 

 of the city. "Walking Talks on 

 Trees." of some educational value. 

 may be classified as a recreation and 

 are usually considered as such. 



Ill our climate the average amateur 

 student of nature turns to books when 

 the lowers are gone and most of New 

 England's trees are bare. However, 

 for some time many of the agricultural 

 colleges and various institutions in- 

 terested in the study of horticulture 

 have been teaching the characteristics 

 and identifications of trees during the 

 winter season. Led by the instructor 

 the students walk through Uie arbore- 

 tum or woods where various trees are 

 noted and classified at first hand. 

 Talks and lectures of a popular natun- 

 are conducted by the management of 

 \rnold .\rboretiim of Harvard Univer- 

 sity. The Hampden County Horticul- 

 tural Societv conducted a talk on the 

 trees of Forest Park. Springfield, in 

 April. All of these talks have been 

 verv well attended. 



In the fall of 1913 walking talks for 

 the i)ublic were conducted in the Bos- 

 ton Public Parks, under the leadership 

 of Mr. Fischer of Franklin Park. Dur- 

 ing the same season Supt. G. A. Parker 

 introduced the Walking Talk on Trees, 

 Shrubs and Planting Effects in Hart- 

 ford Public Parks. Talks were con- 

 ducted through the many public parks 

 and Supt. G. H. Hollister personally 

 conducted several successful walks in 

 Keney Park. The walks will be con- 

 tinued in Hartford this season. 



As leader of the walks in the Public 

 Parks of Hartford last fall I suggest 

 the following: 



Selection of Route. 

 Select if possible a route having a 

 variety of native and introduced trees. 

 Groups of trees as well as specimens 

 and occasionally an opportunity to 

 identify trees at a distance by general 

 characteristics and shape, give variety 

 and therefore add to the Interest. 

 Some of the evergreens and any rare 

 or unusual specimens give points of 

 special interest. Usually some trees 

 will be found which will offer oppor- 

 tunity to discuss tree care, including 

 surs,ery, combating insects, pruning, 

 planting, moving, etc. Some time may 

 well be spent on this phase of the 

 subject as many are personally inter- 

 ested, having trees and shrubs of their 

 own needing care. 



The length of the route may be de- 

 termined in a general way by (1) 

 make up of the party, age, women and 

 children, etc.; (2) condition of the 

 ground to be covered, whether 

 swampy, rocky, hilly, etc.; (3) the 

 weather, and (4) time for walk. Dur- 

 ing cold weather the talks should be 

 made shorter and the walking inter 



ial> l.-iiK- I I. ilk enough to keep up 

 till' interest and walk enough to keep 

 warm. Two luih-s Is ordinarily H"' 

 limit for an afternoon. Keep In mind 

 that while marly all of the party 

 know the coinnion trees very few know 

 that there are many species of oaks, 

 that the box-elder Is a maple, etc. 

 A number of trees of one genera af- 

 fonls a chiincf to note their common 

 characteristics ami dlftereiiceB. 



At the beginning of the walk a word 

 about the structure of a tree and the 

 various functions of the many parts 

 makes a good introduction. A small 

 gray birch may well be Belected to 

 demonstrate. The value of some defi- 

 nite order of describing the trees 

 should not be overlooked. Some of 

 luv talks were in the form of lectures 

 for the boys of the woodworking 

 classes of the manual training schools. 

 Many of th(>Be boys had never seen to 

 itnow them the common trees from 

 which their wood came. They took 

 notes so it was advisable to follow 

 some ouUlne raUier closely. The fol- 

 lowing met with the approval of the 

 teiu-hers and worF.ed out well: 



( ummon name: Clvo all common names 

 as tli.Tc are many lo.^al ones. Give origin 

 of name and meaning, etc, 



s.lentlllc name: lleiison and nej-d of, ett^ 

 (Iniroilucp a short discussion of the use 

 ,.f ..i.lciitllli- names, th.lr value, ef^) 



Habitat or .lUtribullon: Uo;H>;. «»»"»• 

 meadow, or other situalloii. Native or in- 

 irodu.ed, and where founrt. 



Shape: Habit of growth, shape of tree, 



''n.ar^terl»tlc»: Bark-Color, texture, 

 .lose or loose, etc. Twlgs-Shape, ,o lor. 



Mrrangements. etc I-'-^'l'-S '.',?/• s^e 

 nranuement, texture, etc. Buds— hi7.e, 

 shape color, etc. Frults-SUe, shape, 

 , <ilor. kind, etc. „ . „„, 



Moan- of propoR^tlon: From seed cut- 



'"Meins'of Llenlillcatlon: Including com- 

 parisons with characteristics of other trees, 

 'value: Commercially. Wood-rexture, 

 (liirMhlllty, color, grain, hard or soft, etc. 

 l-lanlinK and oniamental use": bhaoe, 

 .IS wliiill>rcak. growth, formal, etc. 



A much more informal talk is pre- 

 ferable for a general party when ques- 

 tions of general interest may be 

 answered as they suggest themselves. 

 Lists of the trees to be found on the 

 walks were given out in Hartford 

 These contained the scientific and 

 common names, the former arranged 

 alphabetically, thus saving much time 

 otherwise spent in repeating and spell- 

 ing names. Before breaking up it Is 

 well to announce and outline the next 

 walk The campfire and hot coffee 

 and frankfurts during cold weather 

 added much to the comfort and enjoy- 

 ment of the tramps over the frozen 

 ground and snow. 



"Walking Talks" in the future could 

 well include the entire year and the 

 birds, animals, and plants in their sea- 

 son. 1 believe that directed nature 

 stuily will surely become a part of the 

 park work as has directed play. 



NEWS NOTES. 



Delaware, 0.--The Delaware Coun- 

 ty Orchard & Nursery Co. has bought 

 a plot of 20 acres on Lake street, on 

 which they will shortly erect a large 

 greenhouse. 



Carbondale, III.— The Illinois Nur- 

 series, Bradley Bros., proprietors, of 

 Makanda, are to be moved to Carbon- 

 dale, with offices in the McAnally 



building. ' tt «. 



Bridgeport, Conn.— James Horan & 

 Sons will have to pay over $700 for 

 damages Inflicted on the city chemi- 

 cal engine in a collision between that 

 vehicle and Horan's automobile. 



