203 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
HOW TO PACK AND SHIP YOUNG FOREST TREES 
The success of a forest plantation 
depends largely upon the care that 
is exercised in handling the seedlings 
during the time they are out of the 
ground. The United States Forest 
Service in one of its Forest Planting 
Leaflets gives the following direc- 
tions for transporting young trees 
with risk of serious loss, though 
it' should be remembered always that 
the longer the plants are exposed the 
greater is the danger of injury, since 
damage is done mainly by the drying 
out of roots. To maintain some mois- 
ture about the roots is therefore the 
chief care. 
Evergreen or coniferous seedlings 
are more subject to drying out than 
those of broadleaf trees, because their 
foliage is always active, while in the 
latter the surface from which trans- 
piration may take place is greatly re- 
duced during the leafless season. 
Coniferous trees for forest plant- 
ing, except a few species, should not 
be more than 4 or 5 years old, or not 
more than 10 inches high. Much 
smaller trees, from 1 to .3 years old, 
are usually preferable. Larger trees 
are costly, hard to move without 
being injured, and difficult to estab- 
lish in a new situation. 
As soon as the seedlings are taken 
from the ground the roots should be 
dipped into a “puddle” of thin mud. 
Bundles of 50 or 100 should then be 
made, and the roots of the plants cov- 
ered with moist sphagnum moss, 
which, in turn, should be wrapped 
about with several layers of thick 
paper. The paper assists greatly in 
preventing the evaporation of mois- 
ture from the bundle. After this 
each bundle should be tied about the 
middle with twine or raffia fiber, care 
being taken not to draw the cord 
tight enough to injure the seedlings. 
The bundles should then be placed in 
a box wide enough to admit several 
bundles side by side, and long enough 
to hold two bundles laid end to end, 
with a space of few inches between 
the tops. A tier of bundles should be 
placed on the bottom of the box, with 
the roots next the ends and the foliage 
toward the middle. Across the mid- 
dle of each row should be placed a 
cleat, about 1 inch thick and 2 inches 
wide, secured in position by nails 
driven into its ends from without. 
Above the first tier of bundles a sec- 
ond should be laid and secured in 
the same way; then a third, and so 
on until the box is full or the re- 
quired number of plants have been 
packed, as seen in the illustration. 
Further to insure the retention of 
moisture about the roots, the spaces 
between the root wrappings should 
be filled with wet chaff or moss, but 
the spaces between the tops should 
Top View 
-fft. 
Side View 
be left empty. After the box has 
been nailed up, two or three holes 
should be bored into the sides so 
that the air may circulate freely. 
Seedlings packed in this way will re- 
“Civic improvement, as properly in- 
terpreted, means something more than 
making a city handsome or pretty. 
Such beautification as it involves has 
other purposes than merely to give a 
pleasing effect. Our cities are not de- 
signed only to be looked at. They are, 
primarily, places to live in and to do 
business in, and no civic improvement 
is worthy of the name unless it be 
based on these considerations. When 
based on them we shall find it con- 
ferring more than a superficial benefit; 
we shall find it making the city a really 
better place in which to live, blessing 
the home life of all the citizens ; and if 
not actually helping, at least offering 
no interference to business interests, 
while perhaps, by the attractive power 
of its charm, even bringing new busi- 
ness into town.” — Charles Mulford 
Robinson. 
The late Bishop George S. Seymour 
was very fond of trees, and one day. 
main in good condition for several 
weeks, but the box should be kept 
from the sun and opened as soon as 
possible. 
Where sphagnum moss is not avail- 
able, the roots may be wrapped in 
wet burlap, fine wet chaff, or saw- 
dust which has undergone fermenta- 
tion. With all these, however, extra 
care must be taken to cover the wrap- 
ping with paper. 
When the trees are to be trans- 
ported only a short distance by 
wagon, less care is necessary. The 
bundles should be made up as de- 
scribed, but may be set upright in 
shallow, open boxes. 
Deciduous trees are best trans- 
planted when not over 2 feet high, 
and should always be moved when 
the leaves are off. 
For long-distance shipment the 
.seedlings should be wrapped and 
boxed in the manner described for 
conifers, although the greater bulk 
of the plants usually necessitates put- 
ting a smaller number of seedlings in 
each bundle. For shipment only a 
short distance, it often suffices to sur- 
round the roots with wet chaff and a 
wrapping of burlap. 
Deciduous or broadleaf trees will 
withstand harder usage than ever- 
greens, yet all kinds repay careful 
treatment while being transplanted. 
walking with a young lady, he point- 
ed out to her some of the fine trees in 
the neighborhood. She professed 
great interest and delight. She cried: 
“How tire noble aspect of beautiful 
trees stirs up the keenest, emotions of 
the soul!” Then, patting a great, 
rough trunk, she went on; “You su- 
perb oak, what would you say to me 
if you could talk?” The bishop smiled. 
“I believe I can be his interpreter,” he 
murmured. “He would probably say, 
T beg your pardon, miss; I am a 
beech.’ ” — Country Gentleman. 
* * * 
The preservation of San Francisco’s 
famous Telegraph Hill or some por- 
tion of it which shall suffice as a per- 
ment landmark of the city to future 
generations is receiving attention of 
the Outdoor Art League of that citj'. 
City Engineer Woodward has prepared 
a map of the location and boundaries 
best suited to becoming a park, are be- 
ing considered. 
SELECTED NOTES AND EXTRACTS 
