68 TORREYA 



respectively. Thus the earth was not in quite such a uniformly soaked condi- 

 tion as in 1938. 



But the fact that in the 1944 storm the soil was not quite so favorable to 

 uprooting was obviously much more than counter-balanced by the powerful 

 factors above stated — stronger winds, lasting longer, and the position of the 

 New York City area more nearly in the path of the hurricane. 



According to present reports, the 1944 hurricane started somewhere in the 

 West Indies, proceeded in a northwesterly direction to the Cape Hatteras 

 region, then curved in a northeasterly direction along the coast, crossing Long 

 Island near Bridgehampton, and entering Connecticut somewhere between New 

 Haven and New London, thence northeastward to the region of Boston, Mass. 

 and finally out to sea ( Fig. 1 ) . 



At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, counting all trees and shrubs overthrown 

 or blown over to a leaning position, the number was between 400 and 500, 

 according to Mr. Montague Free, Horticulturist of the Garden. Seventy-five 

 large trees a foot or more in diameter are down, also 1 50 small trees averaging 

 6 inches in diameter, and about 200 that need straightening. The Garden has 

 lost many valuable specimens that can not be replaced. This is obvious in the 

 case of the older, larger trees that have been growing 25 years or more. Two 

 fine large specimens of the Golden Larch (Pseudolarix amabilis) at the north- 

 ern end of the Oriental Garden have been lost, also a very valuable tree of 

 Toona (Cedrcla sinensis) (Fig. 2) a relative of the Cigarbox Cedar, about 40 

 feet high and 1^2 f eet in diameter, is gone. The Garden had two of these trees 

 back in 1942. but in the winter of 1942-3 a severe cold spell killed one. A large 

 Oleaster {Elaeagnus angustifolia) iy 2 feet in diameter, north of the Children's 

 House is gone. In the Wild Flower Garden a fine tulip tree planted in October, 

 1913, by Adolph Engler, is a total loss, as well as another smaller tulip close 

 to it. 



West of the Rose Garden a large Platanus orient alis believed to be the only 

 large specimen in this vicinity, is down. In the Elm Family section a large Si- 

 berian Elm ( U I in us pumila) was broken off squarely, 12 feet from the ground. 

 Three large Black Locusts (Robinia Pseudoacacia) (Fig. 3) , two of them rare 

 varieties, west of the Lily Pools, and large trees of the Cottonwood (Populits 

 Eugenei) and Chinese Poplar (Populus ssecJmanica) near the southern boulder 

 bridge were blown over. One of the large Atlas Cedars (Cedrus atlantica) near 

 the west slope of Boulder Hill was blown over but has now been straightened. 



Besides such rare individuals. 6 large willow trees, near the brook, two 

 large London Planes on the top of Boulder Hill and a considerable number of 

 poplars in the row east of the experimental plot and the Children's Garden, on 

 the museum embankment and on the west border of the horticultural section 

 are either down or leaning over. 



