New-York tribune., 1903-07-05
PROSPECT PARK TREES.
Many Rare, Curious and Beautiful
Ones To Be Found.

The general public may not know it, but it is
d fact that Prospect Park, Brooklyn, is as IA
nous among botanists for its wealth and variety
uf trees and shrubs it is renowned among
trtsts for it's beautiful natural scenery. From
d botanical point of view, it is replete with won
ders in every part and at every turning. AS is
Known to New-York students of plant life the
cacti of Prospect Park constitute one of the
most famous public collections in the world;
the orchids very numerous, embracing many
ot the choicest varieties: the dwarf japanese
ices centuries old, are genuine curiosities, and
The hothouse ferns embrace the rarest and most
Ielicate varieties from all parts of the world.
The fine old forest trees indigenous to this
climate and soil have been the admiration of
the people of Brooklyn ever since the park was
thrown open but few, except those who have
studied the forests from the scientific point of
View, realize how many interesting foreign trees
and shrubs have been planted in every part of
the great playground. There are hundreds of
such trees and bushes some of which
coedingly rare and others so like the native
trees in general appearance as to be passed by
without a suspicion that their roots were
brought from the most distant parts of the
iIobe.
one of the most visited trees in the park is the
I.nglish weeping oak, the first tree on the right
s Ge of the walk to the left of the Drive as one
enters the park from the PlaZa. InlS Is que
probably to the fact that the tree stands apart
from the Austrian pines all about sufficiently
to facilitate seeing and admiring it. The tree
Is not large for oak, nor is 1t altogether
imposing but when looks closely he soon
feels sure he has not before seen its like. Its
leaves are small, deeply cut in, and, while at
tached to very short stems, they are so pecul-
iarly clustered the branches that the twigs
d~oop perceptibly. From this characteristic the
tree derives its name. Scientifically it is known
es Quercus robur pendula.
An amateur photographer who set up his
camera to photograph this tree the lawn
reer the policemans BOOTH the other day, be-
came an object of great curiosity to the blue
coat who looked in vain for something unusual
g picturesque in the direction to which the
camera pointed. You're the first man l ever
eaw put up a camera there" remarked the wor-
red cop. What you takin? THE Quer-
Gus" was the laconic reply "Umphv' said the
cop wouldn't you be more apt to get good
picture of one if you stood in front and let me
squeeze the bulb?" The photographer blushed
and tried to explain but the policeman walked
away swinging his club with the iaunty air of
one who has the best of it, and totally unaware
that the odd oak known by the name he
had heard, or was anything more than Ordi-
nary tree and not a good shade producer at
that
Another tree that receives much attention is
q Ginkgo tree, Salisburia adiantifolia, of which
there are 4 goody number in various parts of
the park. This particular specimen is just TO
the right after passing through the Endale Arch
On the walk that crosses the north end of the
Long Meadow, at the foot of the high grade of