July 14, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



45 



PARK WOODLANDS AND PLANTA- 

 TIONS. 



Read before the Ameikuui Association of 



Park Supeiliiteiuleiits by J. A. 



Pettigrew. 



(Continued from page 829) 



Care should be taken that all tree 

 saplings that may not be needed be 

 cut out, retaining' only those neces- 

 sary to replace sickly or injured trees. 

 Judicious thinning of all trees should 

 be made where they interfere with the 

 growth of better ones, noting at the 

 same time, and retaining, picturesque 

 groupings or pleasing combinations of 

 trees; preserving meanwhile a natural 

 appearance in the general mass, and 

 encouraging as much individuality as 

 possible without impairing the natural 

 ■woodland effects. This thinning will 

 permit of the passage of light to the 

 undergrowth, w'hich will respond 

 quickly to its influence, and materially 

 enhance the beauty and naturalness of 

 the woodland. A woodland so dense 

 as to prohibit the growth of vegetation 

 on the ground is dreary and monoton- 

 ous. 



The improvement to the woodland 

 by thinning is soon noticeable. The 

 branches, relieved of the necessity of 

 having to struggle upward to an open- 

 ing in search of light, spread out to 

 such an extent that it very quickly be- 

 comes apparent that the work of the 

 axe will have to be resumed; in fact, 

 whether in woodland or plantation, 

 the work of the axe is never complet- 

 ed; it is vandalism to lay it aside. 



The best time to make selections for 

 permanent trees, or for cutting, is in 

 the summer. At this season the con- 

 dition of the trees can be more easily 

 ascertained, as their relative positions 

 and needs are more apparent than at 

 any other season. 



Natural woodlands, when included 

 in lands taken for park purposes, must 

 of necessity, either dominate or be sub- 

 servient to a general scheme of adap- 

 tation; in the latter case, modifica- 

 tions of their outlines may be neces- 

 sary. Let no mistaken sentiment pre- 

 vent the execution of this work. A 

 park is not made for a day; the work 

 of the present is subject to the judg- 

 ment of the future; the mistakes of to- 

 day bear disappointment for posterity. 

 Should it become necessary, then, to 

 cut any part of the woodland in the 

 execution of a properly devised plan 

 for the unification of the different 

 -parts of the ground into an harmoni- 

 ous whole, hesitate not to apply the 

 steel. 



Very often natural woodlands are 

 subject to such severe and constant 

 use by the public that it is impossible 

 to retain underbrush and ground 

 cover. In such cases the destruction 

 of the underbrush exposes the ground 

 to the action of the sun; the roots run- 

 ning near the surface, which were pro- 

 tected from heat and dryness under the 

 natural forest covering, are killed off, 

 and the trees soon deteriorate or die. 

 This result cannot be avoided unless 

 some other covering can be substi- 

 tuted. Four or five inches of loam 

 seeded in grass will serve the purpose 

 and be of great benefit to the trees. 



The proper treatment of park wood- 

 lands includes the careful cutting from 

 the trees of all dead or diseased limbs. 

 A large proportion of trees come to an 

 untimely end because of the decay in- 

 troduced into the boles through the 



stumps of dead limbs. Each cut 

 should be made close and even with 

 the bole, and well painted over, re- 

 newing the coat when necessary until 

 the wound is healed. 



While natural woodlands within 

 park areas are arbitrarily placed, and, 

 generally, control any scheme tor har- 

 monizing them with other features, 

 plantations are entirely governed in 

 their location and character by the 

 landscape gardener. The preparation 

 of the ground for planting is of the 

 first importance to the trees. On it 

 depends, largely, whether the planta- 

 tion shall be a mass of healthy, vigor- 

 ous foliage, or a collection of stunted 

 trees dragging out a starved existence. 

 For the production of a healthy growth 

 of deciduous trees an essential neces- 

 sity is a sufficiency of good soil. 



No work of park construction should 

 take precedence over that of tree- 

 planting, other than the work neces- 

 sary to make the ground intended for 

 plantations available. Bridges, build- 

 ings, roads and walks are of secondary 

 importance in comparison. 



Assuming that the soil is good, 

 preparation for planting should begin 

 in the preceding summer, by plough- 

 ing and deeply subsoiling, ploughing 

 the ground two or three times and re- 

 ducing it to a good condition of mel- 

 lowness. Spring planting is preferable 

 in our northern latitudes. Fall-planted 

 trees, unless put in early enough to 

 have made roots to sustain them, are 

 apt to dry out by evaporation during 

 the long freezing months. A good 

 method is to make selections and pur- 

 chases in the fall, which can be heeled 

 in over winter and protected from dry- 

 ing winds. Thus planting can be com- 

 menced much earlier, unhampered by 

 the delays of spring shipments from 

 nurseries. 



In passing, 1 might say, that no 

 Park Department should be without 

 its own nursery, where trees and 

 shrubs can be obtained within its own 

 grounds, and be dug under such con- 

 ditions as obtain in a well-regulated 

 organization. Well-dug trees, with 

 plenty of roots, kept moist until 

 planted, make fall or spring equally 

 successful. 



In planting, plant thickly; ten to 

 twelve feet apart is not too close. The 

 ground then is more quickly shaded; 

 the trees, also, shelter each other. 

 Thin out by transplanting, or even by 

 cutting, whenever the branches inter- 

 fere. Under no consideration permit 

 injury to be done by overcrowding. 

 This method has many advantages: 

 it provides shade for the ground and 

 for the trunks of the trees, which, 

 thickly placed, protect each other 

 from scorching winds; it permits of 

 easy and cheap cultivation of the 

 ground, and is a convenient nursery 

 from which finer trees can be secured 

 each season than can be obtained in 

 commercial nurseries. This plan also 

 gives a greater variety from which 

 to select the permanent trees. 



The contrary opinion is held by 

 some, who advocate the planting of 

 the trees in their intended perman- 

 ent positions. The principal reason 

 tor which seems to be, that, from a 

 fear of public outcry, the thinnings 

 are not made, or that from negligence 

 or ignorance the trees are allowed to 

 overcrowd and spoil each other. The 

 first objection may be met by trans- 

 planting instead cf thinning out. To 



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714 Chestnut Street, Philadelpliia 



the second it may be said, that ignor- 

 ance or negligence cannot be guarded 

 against by any method of planting. 



It is best to plant the intended per- 

 manent tre?s at a distance of from 

 thirty to fifty feet, according to their 

 expected development. A second ar- 

 rangement may be made nearly al- 

 ternating, of some oth?r kind of tree, 

 and even a third combination may be 

 made, again alternating. The advant- 

 age of this plan is that any one of 

 the three arrangements may be ad- 

 opted, as may be de;med best, at 

 thinning-time, for the permanent trees. 



The effect of large masses of trees 

 of one species is much more dignified 

 and impressive than a conglomeration 

 of trees of different kinds and habits 

 of growth. The mass, or groups of 

 varying size, may be allowed to merge 

 into each other in irregular ragged 

 outlines. 



It is not considered desirable to 

 plant shrubs throughout new planta- 

 tions; they interfere with the free use 

 of the cultivator, which is a valuable 

 adjunct to the diligent planter desir- 

 ing vigorous, rapid growth. Cultiva- 

 tion should be maintained for a period 

 of three years or so, when shrubbery 

 or ground cover may be introduced. 

 Shrubbery should, however, be planted 

 on the borders of the plantation when 

 made of such wood-bordering plants- 



