

How Some of the Rarer Kinds of Oak Seedlings Are Grown on the Mann Farm 



vote much serious attention to the 

 planting of trees solely for posterity. 

 Therefore, an instance of that kind in 

 Pennsylvania, where a farmer of mod- 

 erate means is exerting himself by ex- 

 ample and by advice to further the 

 planting of oak trees, merits attention 

 because it is an altogether altruistic 

 endeavor. 



Somewhat more than fifty species of 

 the oak grow in the United States, and 

 about twenty-five are found through- 

 out the northeastern portion of the 

 country. On his Arbormeade Farm, in 

 Horsham township, Pennsylvania, fif- 

 teen miles north of Philadelphia. Charles 

 S. Mann is growing not less than thirty 

 species of the tree, some being repre- 

 sented by hundreds of small trees, while 

 of others there are only a few experi- 

 mental specimens. Moreover, it must 

 be borne in mind that Mr. Mann is 

 not a nurseryman, and is not growing 

 trees for profit. He is what is usually 

 termed a "small farmer," just like the 

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average tiller of the soil throughout the 

 coutry. His undertaking in oak- 

 growing is the outcome of his intense 

 love of the study of forestry, his real- 

 ization of the great havoc wrought in 

 the forests of America, and his zeal to 

 encourage his fellow-farmers to grow 

 oak trees. 



Ten years ago he began planting oak 

 trees. Thus to-day none of his trees 

 is of great size, save a few that stood 

 on the farm long before he took up his 

 special work. A space of several acres 

 about his house is his field of opera- 

 tion. The common varieties that are 

 to be found in Pennsylvania are grow- 

 ing in large beds, and the trees vary 

 in size from a few inches to six or 

 seven feet. These include the pin oak, 

 which grows faster than any other oak 

 and sometimes matures in seventy-five 

 years ; the white oak, the black oak, 

 the red oak, the scarlet oak, which is 

 particularly beautiful in autumn ; the 

 mossycup or burr oak, which has the 



