College Park

THE attractiveness of the wooded area known as College Park is due to the far-sighted generosity of Judge Joel Parker, a distinguished graduate in the class of 1811 and later the first president of the Alumni Association. In 1867 he gave the College 7500 European trees, and in the succeeding year a like number from the nursery of Andre Leroy of Angers, France, together with $1000 to extend the Park on the south and east. The land was purchased from Mr. A. P. Balch in the spring of 1868, bringing the Park area to approximately its present dimensions.

In a letter preserved in the Baker Library, written to President Smith from Cambridge, Mass., on October 19, 1867, Judge Parker says in part, "But if the intention is to make a College Park (in contrast to a private gentleman's grounds), as I understand from your letter, it appears to me that the main article should be treesmany of them trees which will grow to a large size, and finally make a grand old woods shrubbery of course here and there, to a limited extent, and a few creeping plants to cover some of the rocks, not all.

"Mr. Blaisdell* has taken great interest in this matter and, I am inclined to think is entitled to be regarded as the originator of it. Certainly, but for a conversation with him, I should probably not have thought of it." It was fortunate indeed for later generations that trees were for the most part used instead of a large proportion of shrubs, as suggested by Lee and Follen, the landscape architects employed by the College "to draw up plans on artistic principles." What a commentary on the change in attitude during a hundred years! Wheelock wrote in 1773, "A little more than three years ago there was nothing to be seen here but a horrid wilderness." Wheelock's statement typifies the viewpoint of the pioneer. Chase, referring specifically to the Park area, says it "was also densely covered, though mostly with hardwood, to such a degree that the ground was entirely hidden under a deep growth of moss, saturated with water at all seasons. Phis description is somewhat unusual if taken literally, very possibly more spruces and firs were present than he indicates. In any case, the original trees were largely gone and their loss was felt.

PLANTING BEGUN

At the time planting began, while the western and southwestern slopes of Observatory Hill were largely bare, a very considerable number of trees were present on other parts of the area. The Old Pine of course stood at the summit till 1895. On the lower eastern ledges were three large oaks, and below them toward the south and southeastern portions of the Park were several large maples, elms and a black cherry. The three oaks and some of the elms are still alive, but the maples are today represented only by fast disappearing stumps and all trace of the cherry has vanished.

The northeasterly portion was more heavily wooded than the rest, the kinds already mentioned predominating. While no old photographs of this part of the area are available, small trees were present here along with the larger ones, so this was doubtless where Mr. Follen intended to dig trees for transplanting.

Not all the 15,000 trees given to the College were used. Several hundred, mostly European white birches, were temporarily set in rows on the land now partly occupied by Ledyard and Parker apartments. Some years later, when the temporary nursery had become a veritable thicket, these trees were cut and the land ploughed. A few, as was probably the case of the large European larch that stood near Main Street west of Butterfield Hall, very likely found other locations.

During the administration of President Bartlett, and at his suggestion, the Park received the first attention it had had since planting. Professors Robert Fletcher and A. S. Hardy planned and laid out paths. Under the direction of Professor Hardy and other members of the faculty, and with voluntary student labor, not only were paths cleared but benches and two rustic bridges were built, while the entire area was opened up by a wholesale clearing of brush. An iron summer house, obtained by Professor Hardy, was placed on the western summit not far from the Observatory, and somewhat later a wooden one was built by "the college carpenter" on the eastern ridge. Both these outlived their usefulness and were removed one by nature and the other by College trucks. The Bema and the Grotto were built in 1882. The Tower to commemorate the Old Pine was also suggested by President Bartlett and, with the exception of the roof and stairs, was built by members of the classes from 1885-1895. While the men of '85 were able to complete their section naturally the lowest in the tower—unaided, succeeding classes found increasing difficulty as the work progressed, so that the aid of a mason, "Tim" Sullivan, was secured, though members of the classes continued to contribute most of the necessary labor.

Later administrations have done their share in the upkeep of the Park. During the last few years it has been more intensively looked after than ever before, the trees have been pruned and dead material regularly removed. This year more young growth than usual has been cut to give a more open appearance and to further reduce the fire hazard. While opinions may differ as to the amount of clearing necessary, some must be done.

MANY FOREIGN TREES

Measurements on five selected areas, or sample plots, show some interesting facts. Roughly, half of the trees obviously planted are Norway spruces, with a smaller number of European larches. If present numbers indicate the approximate proportions planted, it is a vindication of Judge Parker's judgment in selecting trees, for these two species have done better than the rest, with a rate of growth roughly comparable to that of our fast-growing native white pine. The larches and spruces now average 1 foot 4 inches in diameter and 85 feet in height, or about an inch greater diameter and 10 feet greater height than the averages for all the trees on the plots. Many of the trees are of course much larger than the averages indicate. One magnificent European larch, standing just east of Smith Hall, is 2 feet 4 inches in diameter and 98 feet tall. This is probably the largest tree in the stand, although there are some other individuals of greater diameter and many of greater height.

While the average rate of growth of the trees since they were planted has been rapid, the measurements last spring indicate that the rate during the last five years has been slow. For this period there has been an average increase for all trees of only M of an inch in diameter and 3 1/2 feet in height. The spruces and larches show an even smaller diameter growth than the rest.

The other exotics are now of smaller size, or have proved for other reasons to be less satisfactory than the spruces and larches. The Scotch pines, while showing a reasonable diameter growth, have increased in height more slowly and have developed the crooked boles characteristic of the early plantings of this tree in America. The Austrian pines and Norway maples are even further behind. Only a few English oaks and elms of small size are now present, and all the original black alders and European white birches are gone. The too numerous progeny of the latter species, however, are found not only in the Park and on the west side of Balch Hill and Velvet Rocks, but also an occasional specimen eastward nearly to Hanover Center. Most of the shrubs have disappeared, and, if vines were planted, they too have died and their place taken, in spots, by our ubiquitous poison ivy. In the Park today there are some three dozen species of trees present; six of our eleven native conifers are represented by good-sized specimens.

The casual observer is not much interested in the kinds of trees or their exact size, however much he may appreciate the airy spires of the larches or the more sombre spruces. Subconsciously, perhaps, he realizes that the leaf-carpeted earth, the trees and the quiet of the place are in harmony and that the picture is good. In 1854 the trustees decided that "the field north of the college grounds in which the observatory is situated be appropriated as college grounds and never more for pasturage." Would that they could have foreseen the advent of the automobile and specifically excluded this most useful vehicle as well as the farm animals from the area! Let us hope that in the Park the narrow leafpaved paths may never be superseded by wide roads with their attendant traffic.

BELOW THE TOWER

NORWAY SPRUCE

TANGLED VARIETIES

A ROCK GARDEN

TOWER AND OLD PINE

♦Daniel Blaisdell, College treasurer.