1308 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



TWO FINE HICKORIES 



In the northern part of the park there is a good 

 deal of natural forest growth and while some 

 of the trees there have died most of them are 

 doing well. These hickories, as is apparent, 

 have taken hold finely. 



HEALTHY RED OAK 



The soil ahout this tree on the West Drive 

 was loose and untramped down. The small 

 fence has had a tendency to keep the people 

 on to the walk. The grass would be better 

 absent from under the tree. 



FINE HONEY LOCUST 



The honey locust seems to do very well in the 

 park even when the site conditions are not 

 ideal. It would be a good thing to plant more 

 of them, even if they are difficult to prune on 

 account of the thorns. 



"The one tree of all the nursery-grown trees in the 

 park that seems to have suffered no damage is the 

 Gingko. Not one has been found to be killed and few have 

 frost cracks. Even the solitary Gingko planted by Li 

 Hung Chang at General Grant's tomb, which is one of 

 the most exposed places in the city, weathered the winter 

 without harm, while the bladdernut tree, planted by 

 the same personage at the same time, immediately adja- 

 cent to the park, was all but destroyed. 



"In January, 1919, Commissioner Berolzheimer an- 

 nounced that over 3,000 dead trees had been removed in 

 his jurisdiction up to that time." 



Relief Measures Adopted. 



The Department of Parks makes the following an- 

 nouncement regarding the situation : "Park Commis- 

 sioner Gallatin has announced, as a result of extensive 

 investigations, a definite programme for the restoration 

 and stimulation of the trees in Central Park. 



"Through the acquisition of a 'K' machine for pulling 

 dead trees and stumps out of the ground, it has been 

 found that the basic trouble with the trees in Central 

 Park is the fact that the native sub-soil is of a stiff im- 

 penetrable clay, and that the reason trees die after they 

 grow to be about one or two feet in diameter, is because 

 of the inability of the roots to secure nourishment after 

 they reach this clay sub-soil. 



"It is very fortunate that we were able to secure a hand- 

 power pulling machine, which made it possible to tear 

 out stumps practically intact, as it discloses this condi- 

 tion very frankly. This situation was known to the 



planners and builders of Central Park as very frequently 

 in the removal of a stump of this nature, earthen pipes 

 of two inches in diameter are found, which were placed 

 both horizontally and vertically through the clay, and 

 occasionally a large group of boulders was piled im- 

 mediately under the newly planted tree, designed proba- 

 bly for the purpose of breaking up the clay so that the 

 roots could firmly establish themselves. 



"It is the opinion of Forester J. S. Kaplan that unless 

 something is done to remedy this situation, it will never 

 be possible to grow trees larger than from two to three 

 feet in diameter in Central Park. 



"Commissioner Gallatin has concluded that sub-surface 

 blasting is the remedy most likely to be successful and 

 most easily and cheaply to be tried. 



"As a result of a conference with representatives of 

 the DuPont Powder Company, arrangements have been 

 made to take one lawn in the lower end of Central 

 Park for experiments in this direction. Holes will be 

 drilled about 18 feet apart, and a light charge of dynamite 

 placed in each hole. with the object of shattering this 

 cementatious sub-surface clay. 



"This practice has been successfully carried out among 

 orchardists elsewhere, and it is highly probable that 

 marked results will ensue from this treatment. This work' 

 is to proceed immediately after the leaves fall this year. 

 It is also intended to plant several trees on this lawn in 

 blasted holes. 



"If this experiment proves successful it is Commis- 

 sioner Gallatin's intention to request sufficient money to 

 treat practically all of Central Park in the same way." 



