CENTRAL PARK TREES STARVING TO DEATH 



1399 



A HEALTHY PIN OAK 



Note the bushes which shelter the soil about 

 part of this fine young pin oak in the Ramble 

 from the direct rays of the sun. This helps 

 very much in making the tree strong and vigor- 

 ous as readily seen. 



A SPLENDID COTTONWOOD 



The Cottonwood is a river bottom tree and 

 here close to the Swanboat Pond it has shown 

 its capacity to develop into a beautiful orna- 

 ment for the park. It is, undoubtedly, an 

 ideal site for this species. 



VIGOROUS ENGLISH ELM 



The English elm stands the conditions of the 

 park better than the American elm. This tree 

 had very good site conditions for it had been 

 cultivated about the roots which were shaded 

 by rhododendrons. 



The Experts' Opinion. 



The experts report to American Forestry that under 

 the head of unfavorable soil conditions they have found 

 in Central Park shallow soil, heavy impermeable clay and 

 hard packing of soil around trees. 



Under the head of species especially sensitive to the 

 Central Park conditions they have found elm, beech, red 

 maple and linden. 



Trees which will make fair growth in Central Park 

 under specially favorable conditions there they have 

 found to be tulip, pin oak and white ash. 



Trees that have demonstrated their ability to do really 

 well in many sections of the park, they have found to be 

 cottonwood, English oak, red oak, scarlet oak and 

 sycamore. 



For practically any sites in the park, even the unfavor- 

 able places, either the Ailanthus or Gingko can be always 

 counted upon. 



The cucumber, Norway maple and Catalpa will all 

 grow splendidly when on their proper sites in the park. 

 Off of their proper sites they will not do so well there. 



In regard to meteorological conditions influencing trees 

 during the last twenty years it is clear that : 



i. There has been a decided decrease in rainfall. 



2. Much of this decrease has been in the summer 

 months when needed most. 



3. There has been a decided decrease in relative 

 humidity in the past five years. 



4. There has been an increase in the wind movement 

 in the past five years. 



5. The trees have been subjected to a very severe frost 

 in the winter of 1917-1918. 



With all of these factors before us it is only natural 

 to seek to come to some conclusion as to what the cause 

 of the present situation of the park is and from that to 

 reach out for a solution. Briefly the conclusion as to 

 the cause of the present situation of Central Park, is that 

 no one single, but a combination of causes all detrimental 

 to the successful maintenance of Central Park trees are 

 operating. None of these conditions alone would en- 

 tirely bring about the present situation and therefore the 

 changing of any one will not cure it entirely. All must 

 be taken into consideration arid all must be worked upon. 



The Conclusion. 



The conclusions reached by the experts follow : 



1. Selection of only such species of trees for plant- 

 ing as have proved either entirely hardy under present 

 conditions or at least have done well on certain special 

 sites in the park. This, of course, applies only to the 

 planting of trees on a large scale, specimens of arboricul- 

 tural interest being entirely another matter. 



2. Special attention to the establishment and main- 

 tenance of proper surface soil conditions under the trees. 

 It is the soil-moisture conditions of the trees which is 

 the one great thing to watch out for in dealing with trees 

 anywhere and especially in a park where the trees are 

 planted singly and are exposed to severe drying condi- 

 tions of the surface soil around them. The establishment 

 and maintenance of proper conditions for preserving 

 soil-moisture in Central Park might entail : 



