W EW VORJC 38>3 



OAKU&M 



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FOREWORD 



THE historical tree contest was held during the summer 

 of 1922 by the New York State College of Forestry at 

 Syracuse University. The results sought were the gather- 

 ing of educational data and the effect that such a contest 

 would have in arousing public interest in trees. Interest 

 in one tree leads to the development of knowledge and 

 interest in many trees and eventually to sympathy with 

 the great national need of forest conservation about which 

 there is a deplorable lack of information on the part of the 

 public. Adherents of forest conservation are won gradually 

 and are made up of persons whose support is inspired through 

 various sources; historical trees is one source. 



Through this picture competition the college has been 

 able to gather information never before correlated and at the 

 same time to call the attention of participants and thou- 

 sands who have followed the progress of the contest through 

 the news to the vital importance of a more judicious use of 

 our rapidly vanishing forests. 



The contest was decided by judges who had no acquaint- 

 ance with the competitors and who by professional training 

 were eminently qualified to pass judgment on the pictures 

 submitted. The judges were: Dr. P. W. Wicks, formerly 

 Supervisor of History, Syracuse Public Schools, Chairman; 

 Dr. William P. Baker, Editor of the Syracuse Post Standard, 

 and Dr. Edwin P. Tanner of the History Department of 

 Syracuse University. Dr. Tanner explains the points con- 

 sidered in awarding the prizes: 



" In making the awards the judges held in mind factors 

 which they believed to be inherent in the nature of the con- 

 test. While they were impressed by the relative importance 

 of the events or scenes with which the trees were connected, 

 they nevertheless felt that the relation of the tree to the 

 famous incidents, the manner in which it itself embodied 

 the history, was an element of great weight. Mere pro- 

 pinquity to important ground or the fact that the tree had 

 possibly ' witnessed ' historic scenes, tho entitled to con- 

 sideration, did not appeal as decisive factors. 



" It was also necessary to consider the historic data 

 submitted by the contestants to establish the authenticity 



