Evening star., 1939-08-12

months on a platform above the
surface of the ground, with most of
its large roots gone, one of Thomas
Circles famous Camperdown elms
was put back in a new resting place
on the northeast side of the circle
today none the worse for wear.
When work started on the new
underpasS last January not only the
statue of Gen Thomas himself, but
the four elm trees had to be moved
while the entire center of the park
area was excavated. The moving of
the trees themselves was a major
operation. Usually. they're put right
back somewhere else.
Not the Camperdown elms, how
ever. They were placed on plat
forms in balls of earth of a size to
make the entire bulk of the tree and
its surrounding earth weigh % tons.
The earth balls were bound in bur-
lap and secured with hog wire.
That part of it was an old story
to the maintenance men of the
Office of National Capital Parks,
however. But to keep them alive;
that was another proposition.
$3.50 Chance of Living.
Frank T. Gartside, acting superin-
tendent of National Capital Parks,
and George Harding. chief of main
tenance, gave the trees only $3.50
chance of living. They had found,
when the trees were to be moved,
that they had sent out lateral root
systems for so and so feet around
These had to be cut off because an
earth ball about 16 feet in diameter
was all that could be handled. Some
OF the roots cut were bigger than a
mans arm and things looked black
for the trees which had become
almost as much of a landmark on
the circle as the equestrian statue
OF the general himself.
Today parks officials assured the
public that the trees would live. For
during its six-month stay above
ground the tree moved today had
grown new hair roots more than two
feet in length and had only one dead
Mr.. Gartside said that, after the
tree had been moved out its origi-
nal position in the circle holes had
been bored in the earth at its base
and concentrated fertilizer consist
ing of 10 parts nitrogen. six parts
phosphoric acid and four parts
potash had been placed in the holes.
About so pounds of this concentrated
tree food were placed in the earth
ball, he said.
Covered With Mulch.
Then the whole surface of the ball
was covered with 4 inches of COW
manure mulch and the earth water
ed at frequent intervals.
So powerful was the fertilizer, Mr..
GartSide said, that not only did the
tree thrive and grow new hair roots,
but also Sprouted new shoots from
its trunk and branches which had
to be cut off.
Today the platform on which the
tree has lived since January was
hitched by cables to a donkey en-
gine on truck and slowly and skill
fully skidded on rollers and planks
into its new hole, about so feet
away from its former home. If the
earth ball had been broken, all
would have been lost.
Today was spent orienting the tree
so that the side used to the most
sun or to prevailing winds would
remain in the same position as be-
fore
Trees get sunburned and wind
blown the same way as humans"
Mr.. Gartside said.
Loan and top soil were being
packed around the base of the tree
and the surrounding earth graded
to the level of the park surface as
well.
One Other Large Tree.
The tree moved today is one of
two larger elms in the circle. The
other, of similar size-branch spread
IS feet and trunk 33 inches in