HARDY WOODY PLANTS 



By Frank A. Waugh, Professor of Landscape Architecture and 

 Charles H. Thompson, Professor of Horticulture 



History of Campus Plantations 



The Massachusetts Agricultural College was cliartered by the Legislature 

 in 1863. The land whicli comprises the present central campus was bought in 

 1864 and turned over to college administration. Previous to this time the pres- 

 ent central campus had been cleared of trees for farming ])urposes. One or 

 two large chestnut trees wjiich were then standing were considered landmarks, 

 as is shown by the fact that the trustees voted to place the first important 

 building of the college "on the western ridge near the big chestnut tree." 

 There were, naturally, a certain number of trees, especially maj^le, oak and 

 chestnut, here and tliere as upon any farm, but no general or decorative i)lant- 

 ings such as are characteristic of the present camjius. 



Judge Henry F. French, first president of the college, evidently felt tills 

 lack of trees, and with a view to its partial correction planted a triple row 

 of wliite pines along the eastern boundary (186.5). These trees are now in 

 their prime and may be seen in a splendid row running northward from Fish- 

 er Laboratory. 



The earliest classes to graduate from the college believed it their duty to 

 plant trees for the improvement of the campus. The very first class (1871) 

 planted a row of elm trees about the circle near South College. Other classes 

 made their contributions until the planting of class trees became a tradition. 

 At first each class planted a considerable number of trees, often a long row. 

 Later the classes have been satisfied with a single tree. At the present time 

 these class plantings, many of which are identifiable by markers, cut a con- 

 siderable figure, for better or sometimes for worse, in the campus furnishings. 



Early Developments 



The entire development of the campus received a notable impetus when 

 Colonel William S. Clark became president in 1867. President Clark was an 

 organizer, an enthusiast, and an inveterate tree planter. Not only did he 

 supervise personally the planting of many trees on the campus, but he en- 

 couraged the students in this work, and also promoted the idea with his 

 young assistant, Sanmel T. Maynard of the class of 1872, who upon gradua- 

 tion became assistant in the department of botany and remained in actual 

 charge of the camjjus development until 1902. 



A special word should be said for the work done during this time. Pro- 

 fessor Maynard also was a lover of trees and shrubs and kept up the jilanting 

 from year to year. His attention was given mainly to the establishment of 

 botanical si)cciincns .il coin cniciit jiiaces, especially on tiie eastern campus, 

 near tlie Durfce Plant House. His plantings were all of single specimens, 

 nc\er in groups. A large number of our best trees and shrubs, now in tlieir 

 prime, were planted by him. 



It may be remarked in passing that several eft'orts were made during the 

 early years of college development to secure a working j)lan of the campus. 

 The most notable attempt in this direction was that of 1866, when Frederick 



