262 AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



tions are to be seen in New York state and elsewhere in America. 



But, can you conjure up a life-sized picture of an up-state 

 farmer, a thrifty, cautious farmer, travelling east and west and north 

 and south, and spending largely of his means to see plantations 

 which contain the trees he wants or the trees which he should 

 or might or could consider setting out on his worn-out lands, or 

 in his woodlot, or elsewhere where trees are needed on his farm? 



You might say: "Why are forest arboreta needed? There 

 are a great many arboreta which contain practically every kind 

 of useful tree. Let the prospective tree planter inspect those. 



There arc such arboreta at Harvard, and elsewhere. Deep 

 and undying credit and honor is due to Dr. Sargent and the other 

 eminent gentlemen who established them. They serve a most 

 valuable purpose to landscape architects, to foresters, to land 

 owners and to all classes of men who wish to study the habit 

 and behavior of individual trees, but they are not planted in 

 forest conditions. 



I have made some study of arboreta around and about the 

 world. I think I may say I have seen with some degree of thorough- 

 ness nearly all the great tree arboreta of the world, both in America 

 and foreign lands. I do not need to recount to you who are foresters 

 the wonderful living museum of trees in the Arnold abroetum 

 nor do I need to describe the great arboretum in Kew Gardens, 

 near London, where many foresters have worked, including 

 possibly some of yourselves; nor do I need to describe the great 

 arboreta in semi-tropical countries, as in Ceylon on the Island 

 of Java, or which are in the making in several other foreign lands. 



I am thankful as an American citizen for the Arnold arboretum 

 and for all such wonderful and useful evidences of the great ability 

 and devotion of scientific men. In promoting, as we have done, 

 the establishment of forest arboretum at Letchworth Park I feel 

 we are simply carrying the arboretum idea to a further progressive 

 development. For I am convinced we should have here in America, 

 not only tree arboreta, but a forest arboretum — not only one, 

 but many. 



My old friend, William Pry or Letchworth, a man of character 

 and of great service to mankind, spent his leisure moments through- 

 out a long and busy life in beautifying and developing his estate 

 upon the banks of the Genesee river near Portage, about 60 miles 

 from Buffalo. In the twilight of his life, Mr. Letchworth felt more 



