Possibilities in Landscape Forestry 



By Arthur Smith, Pennsylvania. 



In dealing with fiprcslry pmbK-nis upon the pri- 

 vate estate, bdth in cnnnection with existing natural 

 woodland, and with reforestation and afforestation, 

 the subject may be approached fnmi two distinct 

 ])oints of view, the aesthetic and the utilitarian ; 

 whether the oljject tn i)e attained is Sdlel}' tn create 

 an artistic landscape, or to secure an adequate retin"n 

 in the future for the capital invested, and the annual 

 interest and exjjense incurred. 



Unfortunatel}- the average forester never considers 

 a tree frcmi any other standjjoint than its present or 

 future value as lumber; he therefore does not make 

 use of the man_\- i ip]ii n'tunit ies which exist of beauti- 

 fying the ground imder his charge. I^ven with only 

 future prohts in \-iew, there is no reason wh_\- lantl- 

 scape i^ossibilities should uo\. also be considered, it 

 being quite possible ti > combine the two ; but not, how- 

 ever, in connection with an individual tree. To plant 

 and grow a tree for lumber it shcjuld be so placed 

 in relation to others that it will make a straight 

 columner growth, and that its side branches will be 

 pruned away by nature at an early age, so as to pro- 

 duce a straight, clean trunk, free from knots. On the 

 other hand, in seeking to produce a tree with the 

 maximum auKiunt of natural beauty the species is 

 capable (jf, it must have all the room it requires for 

 the spread of its branches ; and while it may, in its 

 early days, he closely surrounded by others for the 

 sake of preserving the ground cover, these must be 

 from time to time removed, so that all its branches 

 may, from the ground upwards, remain, spread and 

 grow unchecked. 



A svstem which has 1)een in vogue among a certain 

 school of foresters in connection with commercial 

 forestr)', is to have more or less large, perfectly pure, 

 stands, which are kept clear of underbrush and treated 

 like a field of corn. The only advantages in pure 

 stands from a commercial point of view are, that they 

 are easier and cheaper to establish and that there will 

 be a reduction in the cost of lumbering. 



The jirincipal advantages of mixed stands are, that 

 the natural capabilities of the soil are more fully 

 utilized and a larger number of trees to an acre can 

 be brought to maturity ; many species are less subject 

 to damage from various insect and fungous pests in 

 mixture ; trees usually develoji a better form if mixed 

 properly than when grown pure. Frum a landscape 

 point of view, mixed stands are of course incompar- 

 ably superior. 



In the comparatively little forest planting that has 

 been done on private estates in this country, some 

 species of conifer have, in most cases, been used. 

 Where the ground is devoid of hardwoods, groups of 

 them should be included in the new plantings : the 

 species chosen being those whose foliage turns to 

 pleasing hues in the autumn. 



The first to change is the Black Gum (Nyssa syl- 

 vatica) which puts on a gorgeous, dark red color. 

 This is closely followed by Sweet Gum (Liquidamber 

 styraciflua), the autumn coloring of its five-pointed 

 leaves being not simply a flame but a conflagration ; 

 it has brilliant reds and yellows and in addition dark 

 purples, all of wdiich colors are to be seen at one time. 

 It is an ornamental tree not so much used as it de- 

 serves, as its foliage all the year, together wnth its 

 hanging fruit halls, render its characters very dis- 



lincti\e. Abnui ihe >ainc lime come the 1 >' ig Woods 

 anil the .Ma|iles: .if the latter, the Red and .^ugar 

 are tlie nmst brilliant; the Sugar esiiecially in those 

 districts where it tm-ns a Ijrilliant scarlet. \Vhen these 

 kinds are in the height of their glory, the oaks are 

 still green; l)y freely mixing some of the latter, such 

 as the Pin, White, Red and Scarlet species, the effects 

 may be greatl\- prolonged. In positions close to the 

 point of \iew, by the margins of drives and trails, the 

 effective hark nf the Striped Maple (Acer pennsyl- 

 \anicum) should n^t ])e overlooked, as its bark is 

 C(i])iously streaked with white, j)roducing a very pretty 

 eff'ect, which is the uKire striking in winter against 

 a liackground of evergreens. Unfortunately this at- 

 tractive character becomes reduced as the tree gets 

 old, so one should plant a few ycitmg trees now and 

 then. 



\\ here conifers form the bulk of the forest, a year- 

 round l)rightening effect can be introdticed by plant- 

 ing groups of the several forms of White Birch. Their 

 effectiveness is increased by growing theiu as cop- 

 pice instead of standards ; that is, cutting them down 

 so as to have half-a-dozen or so stems arising from 

 the ground instead of one. Birch also produce the 

 same effect \\hen j^lanted among other hardwoods, as 

 their white bark luakes a pleasing contrast with that 

 of those with dark bark. liirch bark does not become 

 white until it is several years old, but the European 

 species, Betula alba, assumes that color sooner than 

 others. For this brightening eft'ect, the Beech is also 

 valuable, as its grey smooth bark is extremely agree- 

 able to the eye when ^^■alking through woods at any 

 season. 



To obtain a variation in the character of foliage, the 

 Honey Locust and Sweet Gum are verj- useful ; so also 

 are Sassafrass and ^Nlulber}-. Then there are the 

 Larches, native, European and Japanese, effective both 

 by reason of their beautiful fresh green when start- 

 ing into growth in the spring, and the bright yellow 

 of their needles in the autumn. These shotild be used 

 among hardwoods as well as conifers, but they will 

 not do well under shade. 



.Another ornamental feattire possible in the forest 

 landscape may be secured by the tise of trees with 

 prominent flowers, such as Catalpa speciosa, Florse 

 Chestnut, Bird Cherry and Black Locust ; the latter 

 however, being in smiie districts much subject to 

 borers. The most distinctive of all in this resijcct is 

 the Tuli]) Tree, especially when branched from tlie 

 ground so that its large, brilliant, tulip-shaped flowers 

 mav be readily seen. For early spring eft'ects the Red 

 Bttd, Cercis canadensis, will pmduce beauteous spots 

 of color. 



In luore shrubby species, the Sumachs spread their 

 magnificent beauty all through October, to say noth- 

 ing of the entirely separate character of their foliage 

 at other times. (iroujis of Witch Hazel add consider- 

 ably to the many charms of woods in late autumn and 

 earlv winter, as Whittier w-rote : — 



Through the grey and sombre wood 

 .\gainst the dusk of fir and pine 



Last of their floral sisterhood 



The FTazel's yellow blossoms shine. 



Another charming spring subject, which should be 

 in rather large masses to obtain the full effects, is 



