THE ARBORIST; pages about TOWN TREES Edited by Jack S. Kaplan, Forester for the New In view of the close correlaPages. tion between forestry and arboriculture as practiced by arborists and city foresters, the Executive Committee of the New York State Forestry Association has decided to incorporate this section in "New York Forestry." No attempt will be made here to present lengthy or technical articles on tree culture, but we will endeavor to offer timely cultural directions for trees and shrubs and to submit methods of combating depredations of the most common insect enemies. We cordially commend you to our new associate, Mr. Kaplan, an arborist of achievement. He invites queries from you and will eadeavor in every case to suggest a practical solution for your tree troubles. "New York Forestry." Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, and other cities are indulging in tree planting campaigns. Let every other city and town follow suit. More Shade. Trees. Plan now for an extensive campaign for more shade trees in your town. Constitute yourself a committee of one to take active steps to interest your local park commission in planting more trees. If your municipal government has not the funds nor the authorization to do this work, organize a tree planting club and plant an entire street as a unit. The keynote of all shade tree work is uniformity. Use one species of tree, plant equidistant and employ similar guards (if the trees are on the highway close to the curb). New York State is far behind other states, especially those of New England, in the number of shade trees both in town and along the outlying highways. Help make the Empire State the most attractive state in the Union, not only to yourself but to those who come after you. Plan this summer to start an aggressive campaign to plant more trees in the fall. "The Arborist" stands ready to provide you with all the necessary information. Avail yourself of it. The Board of Estimate for the City of New York has recently approved the request of Commissioner Cabot Ward to permit his department to plant street trees on certain streets of the city and to assess the cost of this improvement against the property holders. It is intended to treat each block as a unit and to divide the cost of the improvement for the entire block in proportion to the frontage of each resident. For this purpose the Board of Estimate has set aside a fund of $15,000. The Possibly the most common Tussock and prevalent offender Moth. against our shade trees is the white marked Tussock Moth. It attacks nearly every variety of shade, fruit, and ornamental trees. The complete defoliation of the tree is not uncommon as a result of the Tussock Moth's voracious appetite, so that the life of the tree is seriously impaired. At this season of the year the caterpillars are full grown and very prominent. It is essential at this time to spray thoroughly all trees subject to the affection. Use Arsenate of Lead, 10 pounds to 100 gallons of water, and be exceedingly careful to pletely cover both sides of the leaves. Arsenate of Lead can be secured from any reliable dealer and is readily soluble in water. com In the greater part of the State there are usually two broods. The egg masses which appear in August are pure white in color and are very conspicuous. If the earlier spray of Arsenate of Lead solution has not been effective, remove all egg masses by 坐 brushing them from the trunk and limbs with a stiff broom. These egg masses should be collected from around the base of the tree and burned. It is absolutely essential to burn them as the Tussock moth has a roving disposition similar to our native American tramp, and will travel great distances if there is the slightest prospect of a square meal at the end of the journey. The Tree Fakir. * Be wary of the tree fakir. This is his harvest time. As custodian of your trees you have a tremendous responsibility, and remember, they are your most valuable heritage to posterity. If your trees show the evidence of the need at attention, don't let some glib talker posing as a tree doctor mutilate them. There is no one elixir that cures all tree ailments. There is at present being prepared for introduction in the State Legislature a bill to register all "tree surgeons." Until this becomes a law, be cautious to whom you intrust the care of your trees. 坐 In May the Department of Parks in Syracuse was re-organized retaining F. Carl Schober as City Forester. The department has control over parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, and trees in all public places. Mount Vernon is planting street trees for the property owners at $4.00 per tree. This is at a loss of $2.50 per tree to the city. The Shade Tree Commission deems this matter of good policy to stimulate an interest to procure more shade trees on the streets. Watch your Norway Maples! Green plant lice are quite prevalent and cause the leaves to fall prematurely. Use Kerosene Emulsion or any other contact insecticide not too virulent. (Continued from page 25) On the side of aesthetic enjoyment of the forest there is much that could be said. Many persons find their greatest satisfaction in the forest in its beauty, both as to individual trees and as to trees en masse. It is sometimes forgotten that this use of the forest rests on quite as stable an economic foundation as do the uses of the forest for supply or for protection. If the owner of a forest property gets what to him is a greater return through the gratification of his aesthetic sense than he does from the commercial use that he could make of his tract, then that particular forest is for him being put to wise use. The great trouble in this aspect of the subject is that some of those whose enjoyment of the forest rests largely an aesthetic grounds, forget that the forest has other values as well, and that there as everywhere someone has ultimately to stand the cost. Obviously if forests are maintained exclusively for aesthetic enjoyment, other use, except protection, cannot be made of them. Those who advocate that state forests should be kept and managed for recreation and protection purposes alone must be made to see that to do this will require an outlay without direct return, which in the case of state forests means an increase in taxation. A still broader aspect of the indirect value of the forest appears when one considers the influence which the forest has on the ethics of a people. However intangible this influence may be, it unquestionably in some measure exists, for the whole history of the race is so interlocked with the forest that it is impossible for the idea of the forest and all that it connotes not to have some bearing on the lives of all the citizens of a state. The City of Albany has spent $5,000 for the planting of new trees this spring. The more popular species are Schweidler's Norway Maple, Sugar Maple, European Linden, American Elm, Pin and Scarlet Oak. Buffalo now has approximately 700,000 trees and appropriates $75,000 annually for their maintenance and the planting of new trees. Many other cities in the State may well follow Buffalo's lead. The Cottonwood is banned as a street tree in Albany. Planters invite a fine of $25 for not complying with the prohibitory regulation. Incorporated, 1914 The New York State Forestry Association was organized in January, 1913, for the purpose of amalgamating the allied forest interests of the State into one compact body. The Association now has a membership of over 600; it publishes a quarterly magazine devoted to the dissemination of information upon the Forestry situation within the State and plans to vastly increase its membership and influence during the coming year. Too often an organization of this kind dissipates its energies in generalities. Appreciating this fact, the New York State Forestry Association has definitely set for its goal the following: 1. The promotion of the Forestry movement in New York State The Association also sets itself on record concretely in endeavoring to achieve the following: To extend the protection from forest fires to all forest lands and to reduce the annual destruction caused by forest fires. To educate public opinion in order that a rational policy be pursued in managing the forest lands owned by the State. To extend the reforestation of idle land. To insure a future supply of timber for the wood industries. To protect our watersheds and conserve our stream flow. To secure more equitable taxation of forest land. To take an active part in securing proper legislation necessary for forest conservation. This work is more than an uplift movement, though we appreciate its sentimental appeal and are thankful for it. The problem is a practical one, and is right here on solid earth before us, a veritable "challenge of the future." |