th) Hf} Hy if Pac! ene oA ; a Siar oo THE COMMISSIONERS OF FAIRMOUNT PARK, PHILADELPHIA Jesse T. Vogdes Chief Engineer and Superintendent REPORT ON. THE TREES: OF FAIRMOUNT PARK bind PREPARED BY OGLESBY PAUL LANDSCAPE GARDENER OF THE PARK July, 1908 4 ve b4 e G4 € oa i Sn & Trunk of veteran White Oak, showing splendid development of this species as a forest tree. Note the lack of fertile leaf mould about it owing to trampling by the public HOHOOHOHOOOHOOOOHOHOH OOOO OO OHO OOOOH OOOH OOOH HOH OHOHHOHOHOOH } REPORT on the TREES of FAIRMOUNT PARK | | | | | | A STUDY OF THE TREES | | GROWING NATURALLY IN THE PARK FORESTS AND OF THOSE PLANTED FOR SHADE or DE- CORATIVE PURPOSES, INCLUDING THE OUTLINE of a GENERAL FORESTRY POLICY SUGGESTED FOR THEIR FUTURE CARE cc OOOOOHOHOHHOHHOHOHOHOHHOHOHOHOOH PR EPs AR EDD) +B Y; OGLES BY PAUL Landscape Gardener of the Park DOOYOO OHOHOHOHOHHOHOHOHOHOHOHHOHOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHHHOHOHOOOHHOOOOOOOO OOO OOOO OOO OOOOH OOOOH July, 1908 YL HOHHOHGHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHHOHOHOHHGHOHHOHOHHHGHOHHHOHGHHHOHGHOHHOHOHHOHOHHOHOOOOH OOD LOOOHOHGHOHOHOHOHGHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOHOHOHOHO OOOH OOOH az shJO present the unsatisfactory condition of the trees of Fairmount Park at the present time, and the necessity of an increased expenditure annually for their improvement and welfare, is the purpose of this report. Those in charge of large parks, boulevards, and suburban estates are now a unit in declaring that the trees under their care need constant and intelligent attention, and that the old policy of trusting to nature to provide for them. when estab- lished is a treacherous one and almost certain to end in dis- aster. ‘That the noble specimens in our own park should be exposed to injurious influences without the necessary remedies is little short of a calamity; many of these old monarchs, representing as they do the growth of generations, could not be replaced, and should we not therefore maintain them in a way that would be a credit to the city, and a source of pleasure to all for many years to come? ‘Think what good friends we have in the trees, of the delicious shade they give through the hot summers, and the stately majesty and beauty they symbolize at all seasons of the year! Surely they may count on our watchful care to enable them to live out their lives in this same beauty, instead of becoming objects of pity to the passerby. A tree growing within the limits of a great city, particularly if it be a manufacturing center, like our own, 3 has many adverse forces to contend with, and its life at best is a constant struggle against such odds as escaping gases, which poison the roots, clouds of soot and dust, which clog the stomata or pores of the leaves, and killing drought from the waterproof coated streets. ‘Trees so placed are also more susceptible, by their weakened condition, to injury from fungus-diseases and insect plagues. In the woodlands of a park a further evil arises from trampling by the public, which kneads the ground to the consistency of brick clay, destroys the protecting undergrowth, bruises exposed roots, and on hilly land starts washing of the surface in a way which often threatens the very existence of the wood itself. These difficulties are now recognized in every well-estab- lished park, and more attention is given to the care of the trees in many of them, particularly in Europe, than to any other single work. In New England tens of thousands of dol- lars are annually spent in fighting the gipsy and brown-tailed moths alone, while in Brooklyn a similar activity is recorded against the tussock moth. A commission of experts reported several years ago that because of previous neglect $150,000 would be required to put the trees of Central Park, New York, in condition and restore the exhausted ground in which they were growing. Many additional instances can be adduced to show that the conditions described in this report, while urgently claiming attention, are by no means unique, as they have existed, or do still exist, in other cities besides our own. Owing to the age of Fairmount Park, our work here may best be compared to that in Central Park. ‘There Mr. Par- sons, the Commissioner for Manhattan, has asked for $50,000 for the care of the trees and shrubs for the ensuing year. Though our area is nearly four times that of Central Park, we received last year $3500 for exactly the same purpose. In + Belmont Avenue, showing Elms which were threatened with destruc- tion by scale. Pruning and spraying these trees have restored them as shown here. Unfortunately, no work could be done to preserve them this summer, and they are rapidly reverting to an unsightly condition. oO other words, we are struggling to keep our trees pruned, sprayed, cleaned of insect eggs, and finally removed when decayed for an average expenditure of $1.15 per acre annu- ally; and this in the face of the facts that fifty large trees frequently stand on a single acre of our park and that certain species therein require at least two sprayings annually, to say nothing of periodical pruning and cleaning by high climbers. An examination of the data in this report should convince any one that an increase from $3500 to at least $10,000 for the Forester’s item is not only reasonable, but absolutely necessary, if the park is to be maintained in a creditable way. ‘To do this work properly requires men trained at mounting the highest trees fearlessly, and with sufficient intelligence to perform their work thoroughly and conscientiously, though perched high above ground. ‘The average laborer is both unable and unwilling to assume such risks. ‘The general park force, as at present constituted, contains no men, save those in the Forester’s gang, who are of any real assistance in this work, a fact demonstrated after repeated efforts in this direction. Shade and Ornamental Trees; Artificially Pianted The principal shade and ornamental trees planted in the park have been American Lindens, Elms, Silver and Norway Maples, Oriental Planes, and Oaks. Lindens, Maples, and Elms were the chief deciduous trees used in the early plant- ings, and in addition thousands of Norway Spruces were introduced for evergreen effects. These Spruces have since nearly all disappeared, unable to contend against the soot which coated the trees. The Lindens, Silver and Scotch 6 Large Elm on Lemon Hill suffering from scale. This tree was dying when sprayed in 1907, and if not sprayed regularly for several years will unquestionably succumb. Note the young growths striving to recover the tree. If these are kept clean of scale, the tree can in time recover. Maples. and Elms have proved very difficult trees to keep in good condition, though they are all handsome when well grown. ‘Their chief enemies are oyster-shell and glover’s scales, tussock moth caterpillars, elm leaf beetles, and red spiders, placed in the order of their importance. ‘The young scale insect is carried to the trees by birds and wind, and first appears as a minute orange or yellow speck, moving about on the limbs. Ina short time it attaches itself to the bark, and driving its slender proboscis through the tissues, sucks out the sap, thus robbing the tree, and still further injures it by in- jecting a poison in its stead, which discolors the wood a dark red. In a few weeks the scale becomes coated with a hard shell, under which it deposits its eggs and then dies. Owing to the number of these eggs, the scale multiplies with amazing rapidity, and will soon destroy a tree if allowed to work unmo- lested. By spraying the trees with whale-oil soap or kerosene emulsion, in the two breeding seasons of May and July, the young scales can be readily destroyed and this dangerous plague kept under control. The tussock moth does an im- mense amount of damage to the trees during dry summers, such as the present, and sometimes strips them entirely of leaves. Like the scale, it has two hatching seasons, one in May and the other in August; and if a tree be closely exam- ined at that time, thousands of young caterpillars, so minute as to. be scarcely visible to the naked eye, may be detected ascending the trunks in search of food. After six weeks or more, devoted to rapaciously devouring the foliage, they attach themselves to limbs, etc., by silken cocoons, and pres- ently emerge as gray moths. The male moth is winged and active, but the female is able to crawl only a few inches from the cocoon, where she deposits a cluster of pearl-like eggs. Fortunately, these egg clusters may easily be seen on the trees 8 SudyBaM ATSNOLIS yNq BABY PUNOALSIIOF I} ‘AT, ‘arqissodunt UOT}IpuOdD SIT] Jopuot P[NOM SILOM Jso1Of [NJoIe) ‘9d.1} oy} SISUN Way} Siepuar ATWO YOU SILT, “your yoossny ay} Aq poddiys useq UI S]NUJSoy WIOFT puv supy sy, “yaed pro oy} ut “goer ‘eT ATnE in groups of 400 or 500 eggs each, and if destroyed, will prevent the subsequent hatching of the caterpillars. As it is prac- tically impossible to find all the hiding-places in which the clusters of eggs have been placed, many of them being under s stones, eaves of buildings, etc., we have found it necessary to band the trunk of each tree, when cleaned, with a strip of “tanglefoot.” This the young caterpillars are unable to cross, and, collecting in great numbers below the bands, are readily killed with wire brushes. ‘Their natural foes, several small beetles, also find this territory a happy hunting-ground, and may be seen in thousands destroying the helpless cater- pillars. As a still further protection, a solution of arsenate of lead may be added to the kerosene spray used on these trees for the scale insects, and thus poison the food of the caterpillars. This same preparation, if applied early in the spring, will also serve to keep in check the elm beetle, a small but extremely active enemy of the Elm tree, which at times does great damage to the foliage. -‘The red spider appears only in dry weather, usually in August and September, in this latitude, and confines its attacks to the lower sides of the leaves. The foliage of a tree infested with red spiders soon turns brown and becomes unsightly. Several sprayings each season, during the dry weather, would keep this pest in con- trol. In other words, to maintain a 40-foot Elm in the park in good health is a perfectly practicable and possible matter, but it costs approximately the following amount of money per annum to do it: Cleaning of egg clusters in winter, approximately. ..$1.00 per tree Spraying with arsenate of lead and whale-oil soap for tussock moth, scale, and elm beetle—three Sprayines ab GOicents each): ).f0. .< 0] 0} O| Of O' 1} 1] O| O 0, 0! 3} 0 00 OF0' 0 5 red Oaiee ee. O| 0} O] Of 1] 0} Oj OF O| 1 1| 0} 0 00/070] 0 3 Cornus Florida... 0; O} O} OF O} DO} O} O 0. 0 0 0 i 1/0|0]0} O 2 Celtis...............| 0} 0} O} OF O| O| O| OF O} O} O| OF 1; O'O;O0]0) O 1 White Oak....... .-{ 0} O} O; OF O} O} O} OF O| O| Oj 1] OF 0/0) 0;0) O 1 Smooth Hickory .....| 0 0} O O| O O| O O} 1; 0 O OF} 0 00 OFO)| O 1 Black Walnut..... .| O} O} O} OF O} O} O| OF Oj O| 1} OF O} OO; O}O| O 1 Sassafras ..... ..-{ O} O} O} OF O| O} O} OF O| Oj 1) OF OJ OO |/OFO] O 1 Ailanthus............] 0] 0} O} Of 0} O| O| OF O; O; O| 1] O| 0,00] 0) O 1 Yellow-wood ........ 0 0} 0 O; O O, a 0 1 0 0 Oj 1 40 01|0; 0 6 AREA 16.—Mr. PLEASANT Acreage approximately 7. Undergrowth.—None. Ground Cover.—Sod. Reproduction.—None. In General.—Very heavy pedestrian traffic has left a much worn area. Banks eroded. ‘Trees very wide apart, hardly giving the impression of a grove. | | BBY D: pss 22 36]33 30 27/24 2118 15 12]9 64 21S S?| Tora | | ha Eee Si Spe -|--|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|- — White Oak..2.:....: o| 0} 0} of o| 1) 2| 2] 4] 9]12/1713|0/o\o]o0! of 50 BWhestnules? fho ) cote: o| o| 1 41 5| 1/ 4| 11 2/ of 11 of1|0/0/0]0| o| 20 DINE tete: osca 0) O| 0} Of 1| 0} 4| 4] 3] Of 1] 1J0/0/O;O]0|] oF 14 Beul@aks: 25/2 on 0} O| 0; 1] 0} O} O| 2} 2| 2] 2} 1J1/0/O|o0]F0) of 11 Black Oak...........| 0| 0} 1| 1] 0| 0 2| 2] 0] 1] 0} OJojojO/o}jo| o| 7 Beech...............| 0| 0| 0! Of O| 0} 1| Of Oj 3] 2] 2/6|/1/0/O0]0| of] 15 Red Maple.......... 0 0 0 O|0 0 OO} 1) O| 2:10]}7/0/0 0]0, Of 20 Cir Saas eee la 0| 0| O| Of O} O| O| Of O} O} 1| 5]5/6/1]0]0| of} 18 Buttonwood ........ 0 0 0 00 0 1 O}0 0 1 0f0/0'0 ojo of 2 White Ash........... 0! 0} 0, Of O} O| O| Of O| Of Of OfO/O/1]1} 0] O| 2 Smooth Hickory..... 0 0 0°0] 0 0 0 0] 0 0 0 0]0/0/0 OJ0| OF 2 Virginia Pine........ 0 0 0, O00 0 OF 0 0 0 O]0/0 3,0]0) Of 38 Chestnut Oak........, 0 0) 1) 0} 0 0 0 OF 0 0 O O10 0/0 O}o CO a Dogwood............ 0 0 y 0 0 0 0/0 0 0 0) ofo]2 o|ojo|o] 1 AREA 17.—FouNTAIN GREEN Acreage approximately 3.0. Undergrowth.—None. Humus.—Thin. In General—A much worn level area. 49 Bane: 54/48 42 36 33)30|27/24}21 18 15:12 9 6) 4| 21S} S?|] Totau | | | +. oat oe ust | Chestnwts.te-sascne ee O} 1) 2) 3] 1] 1] 2) 5/14'10|386'67]74'59\15) 3] 0} O | 293 Wihite Oaks 2222 sse5. O| O O} 2} 3) 4/22)36]41 35/71 67}24 21)16/17] 0} O | 359 Black Oak. ....f O} O} 1! Of 1) 1} 1} 3] 5} 6/11/14]32)17/12| Oo] 0} O |) 104 Aaa e. se orsbskas aa as ahe ete 0} O} O} OF 1; 1} O} 1} 1} O} 623130 26) 8} -O} 0} O 77 Gum 0} O} O| OF O} OF O; OF O} 1| 38| 3] O} 9; 9| OF OF O 25 Dogwood. . ..-..f OF O} Ol OF OF} O} O| OF O| O} O| OF O| 7\33)/21] O} O 61 Black Cherry . RM hat evate QO} O| O| OF O} 1] O| Of O O} 2! 9]15\10| 6} 7] O} O 50 Beeches «se eee 1 Ol) OOO OO) O20) ONO) Sa Ss | Ono sO 12 Red Oak. Bs bila tion O| O} O} OF O| O; O| OF O O} 2 OF O| 1) O} OF O| O 3 Smooth Hickory ..... O| 0} O} OF O| O| Oj OF OF O| 5] 6 0) 4/11) 4/12) 0 42 Catalpa . -......1-0} O} O} Of O} 0} O} OF Oj Oj 1/ 5] 6] 6 2| Of O| O| 20 Black Walnut........ 0} O} O| OF O} O} O} OF O} O} 3} 3] 2} O} O} OF O| O 8 Mocustacvr sence nee QO} 0; O} OF O; O| O; OF OF 1) OF OF 1) 3) 3) 8] OF O 16 Sassalrasseniacseer ie O} O} O} Of O} O} O} OF O| O| O| 1} 8} 5] 3] OF O| O 17 Red Maple . ey OO} OOO OOOO) 1] 0} Of 1] 3} 4] 1] 1) O 10 Bird Cherry. alesse kets tes 0} O} O| OF O; O} O| OF O, O} O} OF 2) 3) O| OF O| O 5 Ash.. eer meh clea caine 0; 0} 0} OF O O| OI 1) 1| 0; O} O| O 3 Yellow- -wood.. 0 O 4 Oj 0; O} O} OF O} O| O| 2} 2 4; 3) OF OU] O 11 el al | | | | | AREAS 18 AND 19. Area bounded by Reading and Pennsylvania Railroads and by East Park Reservoir. Acreas ge included by outline of woods equals approxi- mately 25.0. Undergrowth.— Except for some poison-ivy, entirely lacking. Humus.—Also thin and scarce. Subsoil.— Micaceous loam. Other Trees: Buttonwood, 1—12 inches, 1—4 inches. Cedar, 1-6 inches. In General.—These woods are very open and also on fairly level ground; this, with its proximity to thickly settled districts, causes much wear, hence no underbrush and little humus. | | | | BH. DD: 54 48 42 36 33 30 2724 2118 15 12} 9 6 4 2)S| S?)/Torau ol | | reed | r — ms | | | Chestnubins.: 22.0% 0 018 24/18 6 12)18]18 18 24/42 18/24| 0} OJ0/| O| 240 Black Oak... O; O| O| OF O| 6 6} 6]. .) 6)18)12]12/12) 12) OF0/ O 90 IBird Cherry -.\). 3:26. 0,0 O OO] O O 6 O12 612) 6]80\24) 18 30}0) O}] 144 EMT ehre cen en oa 0} Oj}. O| O} O| 6/24) 6} 6) 6) O| 6] O| 6! O| OFO! O 60 WiahiterOnkco ss)... .<. O 0 O} O} O| 6; 6 6] O 0/18) OF O| O| O| OFO} O 36 SESEEN TSC ie Selo GOI 0} O; O} OF O; O; O| OF O| O} O| 6} 6/24; 42/12] F| o 90 Beech 0; O; O| OF O} O} O} OF O} OF} O24] 6] 6| O} 60/0 42 Gum...............] 0} O} O| Of O| 0} O! OF O| 0} 0136]36) 6 6] OJ 0} O 84 Red Maple .........] 0| 0} O/ O} O| O} O| OF O 0} O| OF 6 6| G18}0| F 36 Black Cherry....... 0 0O| O| O} O| OO; OF O O} 6 6] O} O} 12) 60} O 30 Black Walnut....... 0} O| O|} OF} O| O; O} OF O| 6 O|.6] 6| OF O} OFO! O 18 130 (O}) ee oes 0; O; O} OF O} O} OF OF O| O} O| OF O12) 6) OFO| O 18 Celtis..............] 0] O| O} Of O} O} O| OF O} O} Oj Of O} OF 6] OFO| O 6 Cornus Florida......] 0, 0 0 O 0) O} O} Of O| O} O| Of12/84\180\78] F| O | 354 Slippery Elm....... 00.00 y 0} O} OF O; O| 0} OF O| O| 6 | OFO| O 6 AREA 21.—NeEAR WoopsIDE PARK Computed from survey strips. Acreage approximately 7.0. Undergrowth.—None. Slope very gentle. Humus.—Thin and in many places washed away. In General.—A much traversed area of rather open woods; a bunch of Sassafras and Red Maple in a swampy corner. l 18), 1D, Jel 54 48 42 36 33 30 27 24421 18151219 6) 4\2]S) S?| Toran | | | Tulip Poplar.........] 0} 1} 0} Of 0} 0} 0} OF 0} O| 7 8} 6/2) 0/0] 0} 0 24 Chestnutie 22 tse 0) O} O} 1] 1) O} OF 3} 3) 1) 2) OFO)2) 201 O|N 15 WihitetOalke: (ao es oe O} O}. O| OF O; 1; 1} 3} 3) 8} 6} 570)0) 3/0] O] O 30 IBCeCHi otic mata 0} O} O} OF O} O| O| 2} 2 2 4) 2/1/00] 1/0] O|N 14 Riedi@ alle at eete. hte QO} O] O| OF O; O} O| 1} OF 2 1) OF 1/0) 1/07 1] O 6 Watalpacrnian Geo crear 0} O|-0| Of 0} 0} O| OF O O} 2] 3]/1/a! 1/0] OF O 10 Paulownia...........| 0} 0) O} Of O} 0} 0} OF O} 1/ O| 1)0)0| D/O] O| O 2 Amer. Ash...........| 0} 0} O] Of O} O} O} OF O} O] O] 1170/0) OO] 3) O 1 Wild Cherry......... 0) O} O} OF 0; O} OF OF O| OF OF 140 0; O}O} O| N 1 Sour Gum’)... --.....|| 0) 0} 0) Of 0) 0) 0) OF O10} 1), 2107/0) 0) OO) 0 3 Black Oak...........] 0} 0} O} Of O} O} O; OF O| O} O} OF1/ 0] OO} 2 O i Populus deltoides....J0 0 O O} O O O Of O 312 OJ0\/0) O OF O OF 15 Austrian Pine........] 0] 0) 0} Of 0} O} O} OF 0} 0} O| O 6} 1| 00; 0 0 7 Hornbeam...........| 0} 0} 0} OF O QO} 0; Of O} OF 1; 210;0) 0/0} O| O 3 Crack Willow........] 0} 0] 0} O] O 0 O| OF O| O| O OF6 | 0\20 0 0| O 26 White Willow........] 0} 0) 0; Of O| O} O} OF O} O} O} OFJO|0| OO 0 0 Rhus typhina........ 0} O} O} Of O; DO; O} OF O} OF O| OFO} 0; 0/0 25! O fae | AREA 22. Woodland along Girard Avenue from Connecting Rail- road west to spring. Acreage approximately 4.0. All trees counted. Does not include railroad embank- ment. Soil.—Red gravel in upper half of bank and moist loam in lower. A north facing hillside steeply sloping, with two streams at base. The Tulip, Poplars, Rhus, Salix, Car- pinus are on the lowest portions. Forest cover poor; ground in grass with patches of Sam- bucus, Prunus, Rubus, and few white Oak seedlings at rare intervals. ‘lhe Beeches and Chestnuts are dying. cal Pras ca LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ANN II 00009116400