1 Common Trees 



of Newburgh. The Gowanda Elm is 39 feet in circumfer- 

 ence near the ground, and perfectly cylindrical and without 

 limbs up to 50 feet from the ground. At that height it is 

 20 feet around. The tree is 100 feet high and contains 

 17,000 board feet of lumber — sufficient to make 1,800 bar- 

 rels. The old Balm of Gilead at Balmville, N. Y., is 25 

 feet in circumference, and is recorded in the annals of New 

 York as far back as 1 640 at which time a spring of sparkling 

 water issued from its base. 



New York contains no less than twenty-five trees or 

 groups of trees that should be recorded as historic. If to 

 these we might add all of the memorials that have been 

 planted during recent years our records would fill an entire 

 volume. The writer on historic trees, therefore, faces a diffi- 

 cult problem, for who would wish to offend by omission 

 of its name and place, one Qf these faithful friends of a 

 Nation! 



For the purposes of this book we shall seek to set down 

 in concise form a record of New York's outstanding trees. 

 To those that have been omitted we can but express an apol- 

 ogy that is reverent and humble, and that differs entirely 

 from any expression of regret that we might wish to offer 

 to those persons who are now related to the trees in the way 

 of ownership. 



But to the owners we would say, "Let us have any records 

 in your possession, to the end that we may assist in their 

 preservation and foster a national regard for historic trees." 



As a matter of record mention should be made of two 

 very interesting contests conducted in this State for the pur- 

 pose of locating the largest trees and those known as historic. 



The first contest was organized by the State College of 

 Forestry at Syracuse and the New York State Forestry Asso- 

 ciation in 1921, and the results published in New York For- 

 estry by the New York State Forestry Association, Albany. 

 N.Y. 



The second contest covered historic trees, and was con- 

 ducted by the College of Forestry. 



The attached list indicates the result of the original con- 

 test, the prize for the largest tree going to the Gowanda Elm: 



