There are enumerated below a few of the innumerable 

 problems that are attracting the attention of experi- 

 mental botanists and the study of which might profitably 

 be undertaken by the New York Garden. 



Dendrology 



Trees are of supreme importance to our general 

 welfare. It is coming to be recognized that the practice 

 of forestry and reforestation is a state, as well as an 

 individual, undertaking and accordingly the state is 

 undertaking, more and more, to regulate the utilization 

 of our forests and to promote reforestation. Yet those 

 who attempt to interest legislators in this service are 

 continually hampered by the ignorance to which plant 

 scientists must confess as to many of the commonplace 

 phases of tree growth and reproduction. A rational 

 system of forestry can only be developed by replacing 

 this ignorance by exact knowledge. Dendrological 

 problems are difficult and require prolonged experimenta- 

 tion, and it is increasingly evident that the state must 

 depend to a large extent upon private initiative to solve 

 them. 



The Garden could render a very important service by 



undertaking a series of intensive experiments on the 



„ A „ ,. root requirements of a large series 



Root Growth r . r^% 



of our most important trees. These 



would involve the use of large permanent root cages 



which would make possible the direct observation of 



the growth of roots under experimentally controlled 



conditions. Such a method would yield data concerning 



the water and food requirements of trees and the rate 



of growth to be expected with varying conditions of 



moisture and temperature, and the composition of the 



soil and atmosphere. 



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