370 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 30, 183S. 



no one is too oM, has been l.eaiilifully illnstrated 

 |,V Ilo.ner. When ' Ulysses returned from the 

 Trojan war, he fo>,n,l his a.^e.l father plantntj; 

 trees, and asked him, why, being so old, he sub- 

 jected himself to the hibor of doing that, of which 

 he conhl never expect to enjoy the benefit ; the 

 venerable Laertes not recognizing the person who 

 addressed him, replied: ' I plant against my son 

 Ulysses comes back.' Who among ns. docs not, 

 after • such a memorial of parental affection ' fee 

 nn instinctive desire to imitate the venerable <dd 

 man Should snch a feeling animate our breasts, 

 and we use our best exertions to accomplish our 

 purpose will not future generations arise and ca I 

 us blessed ? Let us, then, come up to the work 

 with vi"or, and devote a jiortion of our lefsnre to- 

 wards efrecting the desired object. As an incipi- 

 ent measure^ your conmiittee would respectfully 

 recommend the immediate fonnalion of a Society, 

 and would bes leave to offer the subjoined draft 

 of a Constitution. That the work may be earned 

 on, after organization, systematically and s.-ientih- 

 cally your committee would remark thr.l they 

 have' taken the liberty to consider, and submit 

 their views on the different branches of the sub 

 ject. 



The first important point tliat is suggesteil to 

 our minds, is, the selection of trees of a suitable 

 size, and such as arc adapted to the peculiar state 

 of our soil, regarding thrift and durability. We 

 would particularly recommend the transiilanting 

 of the Kim, the Maple and the Oak, in their dif- 

 ferent varieties, as being best suite.l to the sod of 

 our city and as not being exceeded by any other 

 species of our native forest trees for ornament and 

 durability. The Basswooil, as it is comn.only 

 termed, and the Ash, though less durable, are by 

 some considered equal in other respects to the 

 former. All of these are to be found m great 

 abundance in our immediate vicinity. Imlividual 

 taste may dictate the selection of other kinds than 

 those named, which, your Committee trust, will 

 be freely consulted. '1 hose which are selected 

 should lie of the second growth, and taken, as far 

 as may be, fiom insulated positions on open land. 

 Their height should be from ten to (ifieen feet, 

 their diameter, at the to|. of the ground, from two 

 to four inches, and the form, taperiog. 



On the general subject of ti\ansplantink, your 

 Committee have had recourse to an able article 

 which recently appeared in the Genesee Farmer. 

 The writer in that publication remarks that 'it is 

 a very common opinion that a transplanted tree 

 must of necessity continue nearly stationary in its 

 growtli for a year or two after the operation, or at 

 best make but comparatively little progress. A 

 tree, however, properly transplanteil, will experi- 

 ence very little check in its growth, and often ap- 

 parently none. Hence, the very great importance 

 of the operation being well understood.' 



' There are two great points to be observed in 

 renioviirg trees from the soil ; first, to preserve 

 the spont'ioles uninjured ; and secondly, to pre- 

 vent evaporation, by which the tree becomes dry, 

 and if carried to excess, beyond recovery. The 

 spongioles arc the minute spongy extremities of 

 the finest fibrous, or branching thread-like roots, 

 through which, as mouths,' the tree receives fluids 

 and other nourishment from the soil, and not 

 through the service and sides of the roots as is 

 sometimes supposerl. As these spongioles are ex- 

 ceedingly delicate in their organization, a very 

 slight degree of violence injures or destroys them. 



The more carefullv, therefore, the trees are re- 

 moved from the soil, and the more entire the 

 fibrous roots, the greater will be the number of 

 the uninjured spongioles remaining, and the better 

 will the tree be supplied with nourishment after 

 it is planted in the soil. And hence tlie absurdity 

 of the practice, which has been recommended by 

 some writers, of cutting oft' the most of the small 

 filiroiis roots, because they cannot be easily re- 

 placed in their natural iiosition in the soil. 



' The holes for receiving the trees should be 

 dug larce— not less than five or six feet in diame- 

 ter at the very least, and eighteen inches deep.— 

 The hard and sterile subsoil should be thrown out, 

 and its place supplied with rich mould or muck. 

 Where the holes are <lug in ground in grass, the 

 turf which is removed from the surface may be 

 inverted in the bottoms. If manure is placed in 

 them, it should be well rotted, and should never 

 be allowed to come in contact with the roots, but 

 should be placed in the bottom, at the surface, 

 and in the remote parts. The tree should in gen- 

 eral be set a little deeper than it ori-inally stood, 

 but not more than two inches; the roots should 

 be spread out horizontally in all directions, so 

 firmly as to brace the trees when they became 

 lar-e; moderately moist and finely pulverised 

 earth should then be gently shaken in about them, 

 so as not to disturli the position of the fibres until 

 the hole is filled. Care sh.mld be taken that all 

 the interstices among the roots be perfectly filled, 

 so as not to leave the smallest cavities ; and throw- 

 ing in the earth in large quantities should for this 

 reason be especially avoided. In order that the 

 soil may be gently packed on every side of all the 

 roots, it is very useful, when the soil is inclining 

 to dryness, to pour in a quantity of water as soon 

 as the roots are covered, and then the remainder 

 of the earth shovelled in, which latter prevents 

 the surface from becoming hard by baking. After 

 the operation is finished, three stakes should be 

 set in the ground leaning towards the tree, to which 

 it should be tied with a band of matting or of straw, 

 to brace it firmly in an upright position. Placing 

 the tree leaning a little towards the south or south- 

 west, or with the most projecting branches in that 

 direction, will prevent their trunks being injured 

 hy the action of the rays of the sun in hot summer 

 afternoons, an evil which is sometimes so serious 

 as to cause the death of the tree. 



' Hut it is not only necessary that the trees 

 should live, but they shoiihl thrive also ; and for 

 this object it is indispensably requisite that they 

 should have a large, deep bed of loose soil for the 

 roots to penetrate. If the ground is of a hard or 

 heavy nature, the holes must be made large and 

 deep", and filled with the proper materials, for if 

 the roots are cc^nfined in small holes dug in such 

 ground, they will succeed little better than if 

 plantiid in a small box of earth.' 



' Your Committee would further remark, that 

 since the last meeting, they have not had sufl-icient 

 time to give so thorough attention to this branch 

 of the subject as its im|>ortance imperiously de- 

 mands. They would state, however; that they 

 are In correspondence with gentlemen eminently 

 qualified to render the best information on this 

 subject which long practice and experience has 

 alVorded and will communicate, as soon as may 

 l,e,the information so derived. As the Constitu- 

 tion herewith reported i.rovides for the choice of 

 a Uoard of Directors, a portion of whose duty it is 

 to fix upon the distances at which the different 



kinds of trees should be set, your Commitee deem 

 it inexpedient to make any suggestions on that 

 point. 



In conclusion, in the words of a scientific and 

 practical botanist and gardener* 'we cannot close 

 these remarks without adverting to the infinite 

 beauty which may be produced by a proper use 

 of this 'fine material' of nature. Many a dreary 

 ' and barren prospect may be rendereil interesting 



riuiny a natural or artificial deformity hidden, 



and tlie effect of almost every landscape may bo 

 improved, simply by the judicious employment of 

 trees. The most fertile countries would appear 

 hut a desert without them, and the most pictur- 

 esque scenery in every part of the globe has owed 

 to them its highest charms. Added to this, by 

 recant improvements in the art of iransplanling, 

 the ornamental planter of the present day may re- 

 alize almost immediately what was formerly the 

 slow and regular production of years.' 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 

 Per order, 

 CHARLES GILMAN, Chairman. 



EXTRACTS FROM THE CONSTITUTION 



Art. 3. Every member of this Society shal 

 himself annually set out, or cause to be set out 

 one or more ornamental trees, on such of the pnh 

 lie streets or squares in the city as he may elect. 

 Art. 4. F.very member shall procure such kini 

 of tree, or trees "to be planted, and shall set then 

 in such manner and at such distances as the Di 

 rectors, or a Committee lor that purpose, ma 

 direct. 



Art. 5. Such money as may be subscribed ft 

 the objects of the Society shall be expended h 

 the Directors in the most economical manner i 

 obtaining and setting out trees in such location ; 

 may be desired by the person subscribing tli 

 same, on any street, square, or lane of the city.- 

 And any person, wishing a definite number i 

 trees, can have them furnished and set out by tl 

 Society at the lowest possible rate, at his e; 

 pcnse. 



ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



We have great pleasure in presenting the sul 



joined elegant and instructive letters to our agi 



cultural friends. We have no higher autliori 



than that of the writer, on the subjects of whii 



they treat, in the country ; and there is no indivi 



ual in the commiiniiy to whom the public a 



more largely indebted lor those rural embellis 



ments, which are spreading with so much rapid! 



around us. Mount Auburn, one of the glories 



this vicinity, may be said almost to owe its ori. 



and its lieanliful and graceful formations to t 



public spirit, skill, and taste of this gentlemen. 



lie long since became familiar with that true pi 



osophy, which considers the lilies ot the fie! 



and the birds of the air, aiul gathers from th. 



the undisputed and the sulilimest lessoBS of ll 



ologv, which finds "sermons in stones, books 



th.rrunuing streams, and good in every thing." 



These letters based upon the fullest and m 



» A. J. Downing, Newburgh, N. Y. 



