858 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



SNOW IN THE WOODS 



(ANSWER TO BOY SCOUT QUESTION NO. 2) 



'T'HERE will probably be a great difference of opinion 

 * as to the relative amount of snow in the woods and 

 in the open, depending upon the time of year that the 

 observations were taken. Owing to the tree canopy, the 

 radiation from the earth and the shade, the temperature 

 changes more slowly in the woods, and it is never quite 

 as hot or quite as cold as in the open. If there is no 

 sunshine, the first snow in the fall will probably disap- 

 pear more rapidly in the woods than outside, but with 

 sunshiny days and the cooling off of the ground the 

 shade in the forest begins to tell. Later snows last 

 longer in the woods and accumulate there so that toward 

 the end of the winter the snow lies much deeper in the 

 woods and lingers there for many days after it has dis- 

 appeared in the open fields. 



PROBLEMS FOR NEXT MONTH 



(1) Does the tamarack or cypress or cedar grow 

 faster in the swamp or on high ground? 



(2) An ash and a sugar maple are growing close 

 together, which one keeps its shape the better? 



GRATING SOLVES CITY TREE PROBLEM 



'"P O INDUCE trees to grow and flourish in city streets 

 * and small parks has always been a hard problem for 

 foresters and city beautifiers. Even now, though great 

 progress has been made, none is hopeful of producing 

 large trees or prolonging their lives more than a com- 

 paratively few years. The chief obstacles to tree growth 

 in city streets are lack of root room, scarcity of moisture, 

 and the quick depletion of soil fertility which cannot be 

 renewed through asphalt and cement. Even where a 

 large opening about the tree trunk is left in the paving 

 material, the tramping of myriads of feet soon renders 

 it almost as solid as the stone sidewalk. 



Paris was one of the first cities to seek and find means 

 for prolonging shade tree life. The initial move was 

 to cover the open space about the tree trunk with an iron 

 grating that sustained the foot traffic and prevented 

 packing. This idea was taken up and extended by 

 other cities till now New York has a system in vogue a 

 little in advance of all others. This city had to contend 

 with not only the tree troubles of other cities, but there 

 is hardly a spot in Manhattan where the natural rock is 

 not within a few feet of the surface. 



The accompanying illustration gives a detailed sketch 

 of a tree-planting specification under which the Manhat- 

 tan Park Department contracts for the work. First, an 

 excavation 4 by 6 feet and 3 feet deep is made where 

 the tree is to stand. This is filled in with good quality 

 soil to within six inches of the top and the tree roots well 

 tamped. An iron grating in two parts the full size of 

 the excavation, with an 18-inch circular opening for the 

 tree trunk, is then set in, resting upon the sidewalk 



material. This large area of grating lets out gas, steam, 

 and other harmful substances that are constantly escap- 

 ing from under ground pipes and which are harmful to 

 tree roots. It also allows a considerable amount of rain 

 water to reach the roots and permits aeration of the 

 surface soil under the grating. Mr. J. S. Koplan, the park 

 forester, has devised a flat steel cultivating tool with 

 which the soil under the grating may be stirred and 

 loosened two or three times a year, which also prepares 

 it for the reception of liquid fertilizer poured through 

 the grating. 



A Way to Keep City Trees Alive, 



Showing the Orating to Save 



the Roots from the Pressure 



of Countless Feet. 



Mr. J. P. Morgan was one of the first New Yorkers to 

 try the new device. Trees planted in front of his residence 

 in Madison Avenue several years ago are doing nicely, 

 where trees set under the old plan had invariably failed. 

 In Kenmare Park, at Kenmare and Lafayette streets, 

 the Park Department has a plantation of fine trees, each 

 with an 8 by 8 foot grating, the larger area being used 

 because of the poor natural soil conditions. One of the 

 newest and most attractive plantations of street shade 

 trees has recently been completed by the American Geo- 

 graphical Society around its building at 156th street and 

 Broadway. In this instance, semi-circular wrought iron 

 grills, with a 6-foot diameter at the curb line, have been 

 used. The trees are 8-inch Oriental planes, 30 feet high, 

 selected by the City Park Department from among hun- 

 dreds in the nursery. There are eleven of the trees, and 

 the fact that Oriental planes were selected proves that 

 that park forester does not expect another such severe 

 season as last winter, when nearly all the plane trees in 

 the city were killed by the cold. New York Times. 



