1400 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



(a). Cultivation of soil around all trees of special 

 interest or value, and the more the better. 



(b). Mulching or covering the soil about the trees 

 with manure, dead leaves, etc., during the winter. 



(c). Planting trees in small groves or "woodlets" 

 and keeping them in the form of small patches of natural 

 forest (leaving the leaves and small twigs to decay on 

 the ground and so form a natural mulch). 



(d). Underplanting the larger trees with more shade 

 enduring species which would shade the ground, protect 

 from wind and so prevent drying out. 



These suggestions would perhaps cost a great deal of 

 money or a change in the principal present-day policy of 

 the park management but is not the end worthy of such 

 expense and change? To anyone passing through the 

 park on any bright day in the warmer months the value 

 to human life — especially child fife — of the open, out- 

 door stretches of natural growth, so different from the 

 narrow, dirty, noisy streets in which most of the park 

 visitors were born and now live, is ample to warrant a 

 great increase in expenditure by the city to save and 

 energetically maintain the tree growth within this, the 



most famous of all American city parks. At the present 

 time and under the present system many of the trees of 

 the park are much retarded in growth and a large number 

 have died. Some of these latter have been of large size 

 and fair age, but it is clear to the careful observer that 

 practically all of them should have lived for a good many 

 years longer and there is good reason to believe that if 

 proper care and enough money had been devoted to them, 

 they would still be shading the walks and lawns instead 

 of going to the woodpile. Now, when too late the trees 

 are dead and the expense of taking them out and plant- 

 ing new ones comes up, while the public waits for years 

 for the new tree to attain good enough proportions to 

 fill the blank left by the dead specimen. 



The situation confronting New York as a result of 

 these findings will, perhaps, fit many other cities in the 

 United States. We have all seen beautiful trees "just 

 die" and the layman is at a loss to understand why they 

 should. The New York park officials are alive to the 

 situation, and are trying to improve it while knowledge of 

 just what is best suited to Central Park conditions is of 

 the utmost value to every city forester and park depart- 

 ment official. 



PLANT MEMORIAL TREES FOR OUR HEROIC DEAD 



THE NORWAY MAPLE 



This tree has been benefited by having the soil 

 about it cultivated to some extent and also 

 shaded. More than that, it is not on a windy 

 site. It thrives under these conditions. 



THE GINGKO 



Note the peculiar outspreading branches. All 

 of the gingkos that were noticed in the park 

 were growing well. There are, tn this coun- 

 try, no insects or fungi which attack this tree. 



CUCUMBER TREES 



These two large trees in the Ramble show the 

 good development of this species under con- 

 ditions favorable to it. Compare their appear- 

 ;uk-c with others not so well situated. 



