The Dickinson press., 1906-03-17
TO GROW 4 FOREST FOR A CITY PARK.
Barren, Unsi9htIv Mill to be Piaated fos
Beauty and Use in imitatioa of Natural
Woodlands

Woodlands
Public-spirited citizens of Helena,
Montana, have for some time been agi-
tating a plan to convert the unsightly
slopes of Mount Helena, which lies just
outside the city, into a forest park. A
great deal of interest has been awakened
throughout the state by this project, for
the people of Helena will not be the
only mes to benefit by it. Successful
forest planting will be difficult, owing to
the semi-arid conditions, and will call
for expert skill in the selection of suit
able species, the details of planting, and
subsequent care of the plantation. A
solution of the problem will serve as an
object lesson of forest planting under
similar conditions elsewhere.
In city parks the kind of decorative
effect sought is generally secured by the
art of the landscape gardner rather than
by that of the forester In the case of
Helena there will be reared. not single
individuals or small group of trees, such
as are set in the conventional park, but
a true forest. Later on the trees may be
cut for timber, without in the least inter
fering with the integrity of the park.
A good many cities have parks which
are partly or wholly woodland, preserved
in its natural state; but no one thinks of
cutting the timber when it is grown.
CONTINUALLY owned forests, however,
maintained primarily as productive
properties, are not unknown in Europe.
The educational value of such a forest is
we'll worth consideration. A knowledge
of what forestry means would be a good
deal more common in this country if
other towns would initiate the example
set by Helena.
In order to secure a thoroughly prac-
tical plan for the execution of the park
project, the Helena Improvement So
ciety awaited itself of the cooperative
offer of the Government Forest Service,
which places its trained foresters at the
disposal of those who wish to establish
plantations of forest trees. During the
summer a representative made a study
OF the conditions on the ground, and, as
a result, a detailed planting plan has just
been submitted to the society
The proposed park contains about 900
acres. There are about 40 acres al
ready covered with young timber, and
400 acres more on which some timber is
growing. Planting will be done on
about 600 acres. Western yellow pine
and red fir are the trees recommended
for most of this area. These species
compose nearly all of the present stand,
SO that their adartability to existing
conditions Of soil and climate may be
depended upon. Besides this, they are
among the most stately and also the
most valuable trees of the western
forest. Finally, seed from these trees is
readily obtained in abundance in the
neighborhood, so that ease and economy
in the planting operations will be Sc
cured by their use. Other trees adapted
for the park are timber pine, lodgepole
pine, blue spruce, knobcone pine, Mont
Grey pine, and Coulter pine. The. spac.
ing recommended, E by 6 feet, would
give 1910 trees to the acve on land which
is without trees. Where the land is
already partly stocked, from 500 to 1000
trees per acre will suffice. The total
number of trees required is estimated al
$4,000. To provide these a special
nursery will be started.