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CHAPTER XXXI. 



THE RECLAMATION OF DRIFTING SAND DUNES IN GOLDEN 



GATE PARK. 



ByJO'lN MCLAREN 



About 700 of the 1040 acres composing the reservation, was origin- 

 ally drifting sand that moved with every gale, heavy storms sometimes 

 moving it to a depth of three feet in twenty-four hours. This sand is 

 sharp and clean, with nothing in its composition of a loamy nature, bar- 

 ren and poor, so poor that barley sown on its surface, after being 

 plowed and cultivated in a favorable season with plenty of moisture 

 only grew about six inches in height and failed to perfect its seed, al- 

 though perfectly protected from wind by a high embankment on its 

 westerly side. 



The first operation necessary in the reclamation of ground of this 

 sterile nature, was to bind the sand to prevent its moving. Experi- 

 ments were made by sowing barley, also by sowing seeds of the blue 

 and yellow shrub lupin Lupinus Arborea, also by planting seeds of 

 Pinus Maritima, all of which were partially successful, but the first 

 complete success was with the planting of the entire area with the sea 

 bent grasses (Calamagrostis Arenaria), which was done by planting the 

 roots about three feet apart, and run in with the plow. A furrow was 

 run about fifteen inches deep in which a few roots were dropped about 

 three feet apart, then two furrows were turned in which no roots were 

 set, in the third furrow, roots were again planted and so on over the 

 entire tract. Where the dunes were too steep for horses to travel, pits 

 were dug by hand, and roots planted the same distance apart as when 

 tue land was plowed, care being taken to firmly press with the foot 

 the sand immediately about the roots. Moist or even wet weather is of 

 course the best time to plant this grass, the best season for planting 

 being between December 1st and February 15th. If planting be de- 

 layed much later, dry weather is apt to set in before the plants be- 



