TWO PRIVATE FOREST ARBORETUMS 



9MERICAN FOKESTEY readers who have been interested in the pro- 

 posed forest arboretum at Letchworth Park will undoubtedly be glad 

 to hear of two already existent forest arboretums of the same kind, 

 though not the same extent, the little trees of which are now eight to ten 

 years old, which are parts of private estates in this country. One of them 

 is at Potowomet, Connecticut, on the estate which has been so notably con- 

 nected with the past history of forestry in this country under the name of 

 the "Russell Estate," and which now belongs to Col. R. H. I. Goddard, to 

 whose progressive interest and enthusiasm the undertaking owes its success. 

 The other is a part of the planting on the estate of Mr. Percy Rockefeller at 

 Greenwich. Both are the work of Mr. Theodore F. Borst, Forest Engineer of 

 the American Forestry Company. 



The Russell Estate has for nearly forty years been one of the most suc- 

 cessful examples of private forestry in this country, and its various plantings 

 have been partially inspired from the first by the recommendations of Prof. 

 Charles Sprague Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum. When Col. Goddard de- 

 cided to continue and complete the old plantings, Prof. Sargent recommended 

 that the services of a trained forester be called on to unify the existing stands, 

 and to carry the old planting over into a harmonious relation with the large 

 new stands contemplated. Mr. Borst had for some held the idea that a living 

 tree museum should be established, for an opportunity to study species and 

 habits of forest trees in a planted forest, from the point of view both of 

 utility and beauty. This seemed an excellent opportunity to do so, and the 

 idea appealed to Col. Goddard, who saw in it a fitting continuation of the 

 pioneer work of Mr. Russell. Accordingly, the completion of the reforesta- 

 tion, involving the planting of 200,000 trees the first two years, and another 

 100,000 this coming year, included the establishment of such a forest arbore- 

 tum. It was laid out in such a way as to unify the existing blocks, and its 

 object was to develop all the species which would flourish well in that locality. 

 It contains nearly seventy-five distinct species in pure stands and in com- 

 binations, and is undoubtedly the first forest arboretum of its kind in 

 America, and probably the first in the world. 



All the species, in blocks, are to be labelled by indestructible plates, which 

 Col. Goddard is having made, a feature which will add much to the permanent 

 value and interest. 



The planting at Mr. Percy Rockefeller's at Greenwich was a close second 

 in time. Mr. Rockefeller took a great interest in the scientific side of the 

 undertaking, and felt, too, that it would add much to the beauty which was 

 the first aim in the whole design in that instance. His arboretum has in it 

 thirty-nine species. 



Both Mr. Goddard and Mr. Rockefeller are exceedingly fond of trees and 

 deeply interested in forestry in its application to private estates. They will 

 be glad to permit any student of forestry to visit these arboretums on "appli- 

 cation to their superintendents. 



274 



