22 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
of numbers and sites for planting, enables those inter- 
ested to have the holes dug before the actual day of 
planting, which greatly facilitates things when that 
strenuous date arrives. 
Only the species and varieties best suited to exist- 
ing conditions are used for road side planting, this 
matter being decided in all cases by the club directors, 
who also choose and purchase the planting stock and 
see that it is properly pruned, both root and top, be- 
fore distribution to the planters. 
The soil around Stockton is the same for miles in 
all directions, and consists of adobe, a very fertile 
black clay, from two to three feet deep, over a subsoil 
of yellow clay. Many species do well in it and rapidly 
attain a large size. Still, no experiments are tried. 
Only trees of firmly established Stockton reputation 
are suffered to figure in the important and beautiful 
work of securing a series of shaded roadways radiat- 
ing in all directions from the city for the comfort and 
pleasure of posterity. Surely this is unselfish and 
glorious work for any community to concern itself 
with. 
The same sort of tree is set on both sides of the 
road, for long stretches, at a distance of fifty feet 
apart in the rows, six feet from the fence line on 
roads eighty or more feet wide, and twelve feet from 
the fence line on those that are more than eighty feet 
in width. This year, 400 elm, 200 European sycamore 
(if this name is correctly given by my informant, 
Platanus occidentalis is meant, but I incline to the opin- 
ion that Platanus orientalis is the variety used, 
as the native Plane is subject to fungus attacks), 
and 200 honey locust trees were set out on the French 
Camp road. 
Protection is a part of the Arbor Day work, and 
both stakes and wire netting are delivered to each hole 
before the work begins. The stakes are usually set 
simultaneously with the tree, and, when possible, one 
is placed to the southwest of the trunk to temper by its 
shade the scorching rays of the afternoon sun. Ex- 
plicit directions as to size of holes, manner of plant- 
ing, setting of stakes, nailing on cleats, and attaching 
the wire are issued in advance, but to insure careful 
and thorough work, the directors and expert assist- 
ants ride, drive or walk back and forth along the route 
throughout the day to inspect the progress, and ad- 
vise the willing but less experienced workers. And, in 
addition, all the world and his wife drives out to see 
the show and encourage all hands in the uplifting la- 
bor. It is quite a gala affair in which the entire pop- 
ulation is justly interested and not afraid to advertise 
the fact. 
The wire netting used is three feet wide, which is 
sufficient to protect the trees from the passing droves 
of sheep, which chiefly necessitate its use; although 
where trees are set in the middle of a driveway, as is 
the case on certain roads of extra width, it is also 
a good protection from passing vehicles. The top 
soil is left loose around each tree, and a saucer-like de- 
pression three or more feet in diameter is inclosed by a 
ridge of earth as an irrigation basin. 
On the following day a gang of laborers smooth 
the roadway and add any needed finishing touches to 
the work. 
The trees are watered once a month during the 
summer for the first two or three years by means of 
a large water wagon drawn by a team of horses and 
managed by one man. 
The dues of this club are only 25 cents a year, but 
the main funds are obtained from business houses by 
the solicitation of women members. Something more 
than $1,000.00 was collected in this way in prepara- 
tion for this season’s work, and this is said to be a 
little more than sufficient to. pay all expenses of the 
planting. 
The Arbor Day Club received a donation of 50 Cali- 
fornia Fan Palms, and 50 Canary Island Date Palms 
from Mr. Frank West, a prominent citizen and owner 
of extensive vineyards at Stockton, and these were set 
out by volunteer workers, April second, on half a mile 
of roadway two hundred feet wide that was last year 
planted on both sides with Eucalyptus viminalis. 
The two varieties of palms were planted alternately, 
between, and twenty-five feet in front of the Eucalypti, 
and the result will in no great time be something worth 
seeing, for both do well when well cared for and regu- 
larly watered, throughout a large part of the state. The 
Washingtonias (Fan-Palms) are natives of San Diego 
and San Bernardino counties and are said to be hardy 
some 600 miles north of Los Angeles. 
The accompanying illustrations show, quite clearly 
the materials used for tree protection and the manner 
of using them, and incidentally give a glimpse of the 
industrious and jolly school children of California. 
Mr. Eddy, editor of the Stockton Independent, is 
President of the Arbor Day Club, and Mr. Johannes 
Reimers, the well-known California landscape garden- 
er, author and horticultural authority, is a member of 
the board of directors, while Mr. W. Vortriede, land- 
scape gardener at the State Hospital at Stockton, who 
is deeply interested in the work, very kindly supplied 
the notes and printed matter from which this report 
has been prepared. 
It is felt that the work so splendidly planned and ex- 
ecuted by the Stockton Arbor Day Club can scarcely 
fail to be suggestive and helpful in the extreme to im- 
provement workers in all parts of the country, and es- 
pecially in the way of supplying inspiration and im- 
petus for intelligent Arbor Day planting. 
Following are the instructions to the tree-planters 
issued by the Arbor Club directors : 
1— Planting may be done at any time between 8 a. m. and 
sundown. 
2 — No registered trees will be reserved after 4 p. m. 
