rSpS. 



GARDENING. 



329 



tion, the work of the axe is never com- 

 pleted; it is vandalism to lay it away. 



The best time to make selections for 

 permanent trees or for cutting is in the 

 summer. At this season, the condition of 

 the tree can be more easily ascertained; 

 its relative position and needs are more 

 apparent. 



Natural woodlands, when included in 

 lands taken for park purposes must of 

 necessity either dominate, or be subserv- 

 ient to a general scheme of adaptation, in 

 the latter case modifications of their out- 

 lines may be necessary. Let no mistaken 

 sentiment prevent the execution of this 

 work. A park is not made for a day; the 

 work of the present is subject to the 

 judgment of the future; the mistakes of 

 to-daj' bear disappointment for posterity. 

 Should it, then, become necessary to cut 

 away any part of the woodland, in the 

 execution of a properly devised plan for 

 the unification of the different parts of 

 the ground into a harmonious whole, 

 hesitate not to apply the steel. 



Very often natural woodlands are sub- 

 ject to severe and constant use of the 

 public, when it is impossible to retain 

 underbrush and ground cover; in such 

 cases the destruction of underbrush 

 exposes the ground to the action of the 

 sun. The roots running near the surface 

 which have been protected from heat and 

 dryness under the natural forest covering 

 are killed off and the trees soon die. This 

 result can not be avoided unless some 

 other covering can be substituted. One 

 of four or five inches of loam seeded in 

 grass will serve the purpose, and be 

 besides 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 intro- 

 duced into the boles through the stumps 

 of dead limbs. Each cut should be make 

 close and even with the bole, and well 

 painted over, renewing the coat when- 

 ever necessary until the wound is healed 

 over. 



While natural woodlands within park 

 areas are arbitrarily placed, and gener- 

 ally control any scheme for harmonizing 

 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 

 plantation shall be a mass of healthy, 

 vigorous foliage, or a collection of 

 stunted trees, dragging out a starved 

 existence. For the production of a 

 healthy growth of deciduous trees, an 

 essential necessity is a sufficiency of good 

 soil. A park commissioner once said, 

 "Besides the diamond, since becoming a 

 park commissioner, I have discovered 

 another valuable — loam." Without it, 

 noble proportions in the trees can not be 

 expected. Therefore, to achieve good 

 results, soil, and plenty of it, must be 

 provided. This isexpensive work; an old 

 saying contains sound advice: "If you 

 •wish to spend twenty dollars to plant a 

 tree, spend nineteen and a half of the 

 amount in the preparation of the ground 



No work of park construction should 

 take precedence over that of tree plant- 

 ing, other than the work necessary to 

 make the ground intended for planta- 

 tions available; bridges, buildings, roads 

 and walks are of secondary importance 

 in comparison. 



Assuming that the soil is good, prepara- 

 tion for planting should be commenced in 

 the preceding summer by plowing and 



deeply subsoiling, plowing the ground 

 two or three times, reducing it to a good 

 condition of mellowness. Spring plant- 

 ing is preferable in ournorthern 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 drying 

 winds; thus planting can be commenced 

 much earlier, unhampered by the delays 

 of spring shipments from nurseries. 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 when 

 the branches interfere. Under no consid- 

 eration, permit injury to be done by over- 

 crowding. This method has many advan- 

 tages; it provides shade for the ground 

 and for the trunks of the trees; the 

 trees, 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 gotten each season than can 

 be had in commercial nurseries. The plan 

 also gives a greater variety from which 

 to select the permanent trees. It gives, 

 too, the effect of mass more quickly. 



The contrary opinion is held by some 

 who advocate the planting of the trees in 

 their intended permanent positions, and 

 no others; the principal reason for which 

 seems- to be that from a fear of public out- 

 cry, 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 

 transplanting, instead of cutting out. 

 To the second, it may be said that ignor- 

 ance or negligence can not be guarded 

 against by any method of planting. 



It is best to plant the intended perma- 

 nent trees at a distance of from thirty- 

 five to fifty feet, according to their 

 expected development. A second arrange- 

 ment may be made, nearly alternating, of 

 some other kind of tree, and even a third 

 combination may be made, again alter- 

 nating. The advantage of this plan is 

 that any one of the three arrangements 

 may be adopted as may be deemed best, 

 at thinning time, for the permanent trees. 



Theeffect of large masses of trees of one 

 species is much more dignified and impress- 

 ive than a conglomeration of trees of dif- 

 ferent 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 con- 

 sidered desirable to plant shrubs through- 

 out new plantations, as they interfere 

 with the free use of the cultivator, which 

 is a valuable adjunct to the diligent 

 planter desiring vigorous, rapid growth. 



Cultivation should be maintained for a 

 period of three years or so, when the 

 shrubbery or ground cover may be intro- 

 duced. Shrubbery should, however, be 

 planted on the borders of the plantation, 

 when made of such wood bordering 

 plants as shadbush, redbud, viburnums 

 and cornels, etc. 



For planting in public parks our native 

 trees and shrubs can not be surpassed for 

 appropriateness and beauty, and for this 

 purpose their use alone is advocate 1 ; 

 nothing can be more inharmonious than 

 the introduction into park woodlands 

 and plantations of exotic trees and 

 shrubs or of variegated sports and mon- 

 strosities; rather let our parks be typical 

 of our native woods and glades, helped 

 along nature's lines by the artistic hand. 



A. L. BROOKE. 

 I'residiMit-elfet Am. A>sociatiou of Nur*<T\ iih'U . 



WORKERS IN HORTICULTURE, XIII. 



A. L. Brooke, the newly elected head of 

 the American Association of Nurserymen, 

 claims as the place of his nativity, Ohio, 

 the mother of presidents. It was at Lan- 

 caster upon November 29, 184-7, that 

 Mr. Brooke made his entrance in the 

 community in which he lived during the 

 early years of his life. He was a farmer's 

 son but was accorded a collegiate course 

 and studied classics at Wittenberg Col- 

 lege at Springfield, Ohio, after which he 

 was for ten or twelve years principal of 

 schools in various cities through the 

 state. In September, 18S6, Mr. Brooke 

 removed to Topeka, Kas., and embarked 

 in the nursery business, meeting with 

 excellent success. His nurseries now 

 embrace 250 acres. For several years he 

 has been president of the Western Whole- 

 sale Nurserymen's Association and is 

 Topeka's American Protective Associa- 

 tion representative in the state legisla- 

 ture. Mr. Brooke has long been promi- 

 nent in horticultural affairs both local 

 and national, having been an active 

 member of the tariff and transportation 

 committees of the American Nurserymen 

 prior to his election to the presidency of 

 the association. President Brooke is 

 enthusiastic over the future which lies 

 before the nursery business in the United 

 States. He reports good spirits preva- 

 lent throughout the trade and is confi- 

 dent that it will lead to good results. 

 He anticipates that next year's conven- 

 tion in Chicago will be the largest and 

 most interesting in the history of his 

 association. 



Fruits and Vegetables. 



STIR THE SOIL IN THE GARDEN. 

 The value of surface cultivation was 

 never more strongly impressed upon me 

 than during the present season. Moving 

 into a new home, May 1, I attempted to 

 do a bit of gardening. The land had just 

 been graded, and the sand and gravel 

 had been covered with a thin layer of 

 loam, not the most kindly sort of a 



