

THE TREES OF FLUSHING. 



from Long Island. The American elm 

 shows some good specimens around the 

 park and in Broadway, but the planting 



of elms has been much less common on 

 Long Island than in the towns of New 

 England, where the growth is more spon- 

 taneous and more vigorous, probably from 

 differences of soil and climate. 



Then' are also certain trees in Flushing 

 which are interesting from their rarity. 

 Of them we may note the Southern 

 cypress, a very beautiful row of which is 

 now standing in Broadway opposite the 

 residence of Mr. Littlejohn. They were 

 planted by Mr. S. B. Parsons forty-five 

 years ago. 



I wish especially to call attention to a 

 double row of the Chinese Tasodium on 

 Parsons avenue, corner of Broadway, 

 which were planted by Mr. Robert Parsons 

 in 1850. This rare tree belongs to the 

 cedars and it is remarkable for its sym- 

 metry of form and feathery foliage. No 

 such group of this uncommon tree is to be 

 found, as far as I know, in the United 

 States, and it is hoped that such a unique 

 collection may be cherished and protected 

 with the utmost care. 



' The Cedars of Lebanon. — Two majestic 

 specimens of this rare tree are standing in 

 Flushing, one in the grounds of the 

 Prince house and another in the old 

 Bloodgood nursery, in the field opposite 

 Mr. Wickham's, on the road to Bayside. 

 These were planted about the same time 

 and doubtless came from Prince's nursery. 

 Their estimated age is 90 years. 



Of nut trees, Flushing can also boast 

 of a great variety. Besides our own native 

 chestnuts, walnuts and hickories we have 

 the Spanish and Japan chestnuts, the 

 butternut, the Madeira nut, the pecan 

 nut, the bitter almond, and the English 

 filbert. Nearly all these produce their 

 fruit in Flushing from year to year. 



To the infinite variety of fruit trees 

 which are to be found in Flushing both 

 in the nurseres and in private grounds 

 we may add two rare and native fruits, 

 the pawpaw and the persimmon. Both 

 these are of southern origin, but both are 

 hardy in this latitude. 



Of the rare and beautiful flowering 

 trees in Flushing the list is not small. 

 Aside from our own native dogwood and 

 the exquisite Japanese flowering apple, 

 peach and cherry, the chief glory belongs 

 to the magnolia, of which five are native 

 varieties and the others are chiefly Chinese 

 and Japanese. These latter were origin- 

 ally imported by the Parsons brothers and 

 distributed from their nursery. 



Of the vast and bewildering variety of 

 evergreen trees which may be counted by 

 hundreds in the private grounds and in 

 the nurseries of Flushing, I have not time 

 to speak, I can only refer those who are 

 interested in this wonderful department 



of Nature's handiwork to the Kissena 

 nurseries, where these exquisite trees may 

 be studied and enjoyed as representatives 



of nearly every section of the globe from 

 Maine to Oregon and from the Colorado 

 canons stretching around the world to the 

 slope of the Himalayas; a marvelous dis- 

 play of Nature's resources which can 

 hardly be matched by any similar collec- 

 tion on earth. 



But any description of the "Trees of 

 Flushing'' woidd be incomplete without 

 an allusion to what is one great arboreal 

 feature of the town, and historically at 

 least one of our greatest treasures — our 

 primeval trees. By primeval trees, I need 

 hardly say, are meant prehistoric trees 

 which antedate the settlement and in this 

 case even the discovery of this continent; 

 trees that were standing and flourishing 

 long before Columbus caught the first 

 sight of this western world. 



Of primeval trees we have still standing 

 in our village three magnificent speci- 

 mens; three sturdy white oaks, contem- 

 poraries of the once celebrated "Fox 

 oak," and doubtless once a part of the 

 same group. Of them the largest stands 

 in the middle of Parsons avenue opposite 

 the residence of Mr. Eadie. This was 

 spared years ago by the noble conserva- 

 tism of Mr. S. B. Parsons father, when 

 certain vandal trustees and ignorant road- 

 masters were bent on its destruction, be- 

 cause, as they said, "That old tree is in 

 the way!" 



This grand old veteran was critically 

 examined in 1872 by the late Professor 

 Asa Gray, who then estimated its age to 

 be 640 years. If Dr. Gray's great expe- 

 rience in such estimates may be accepted as 

 reliable then the acorn from which sprang 

 our venerable friend was dropped in the 

 reign of Henry III, of England, about a 

 score of years after King John met the 

 barons at Runnymede and signed the 

 Magna Charta of England's liberties. 



It is necessary to ask the ladies of the 

 Good Citizenship league, is it necessary to 

 ask the boys of Flushing, who must 

 shortly be our citizens and trustees, the 

 question: "Is such a tree worth cherish- 

 ing?" 



The other two primeval oaks stand 

 not far from their stately brother above 

 described, but are less conspicuous. One is 

 in a dooryard in State street and the other 

 in the rear of the old Hicks mansion on 

 Whitestone avenue. 



Long may these three noble relics of a 

 bygone age stand in their rugged majesty, 

 cherished and venerated by generations of 

 admirers, who shall in the coming years 

 linger in their shade and worship at their 

 shrine! 



One word of tribute may be allowed 

 here to the memory of the old "Fox oak" 

 which stood in Bowne avenue, opposite 



