The Native Landscape Reader

“Landscape Forestry in the Metropolitan Reservations” (1896–1897)

229 From Charles Eliot: Landscape Architect, by Charles W. Eliot (1902; repr., Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press in association with Library of American Landscape History, 1999), 709–36. Passages in italics here are editorial comments by Charles Eliot’s father included as explanation in Charles Eliot: Landscape Architect. chaRLes eLioT landscape forestry in the metropolitan Reservations (1896–1897) Wherever Nature has herself glorified a country, and made a picture bounded only by the horizon, as in many parts of Switzerland , Italy, Southern Germany, and even our own Silesia, I am strongly of the opinion that park-works are superfluous. It seems to me like painting a petty landscape in one corner of a beautiful Claude Lorraine . In these cases we should content ourselves with laying out good roads, to make the fine points more accessible, and here and there the cutting of a few trees to open vistas which Nature has left closed. —Pückler-Muskau By the time the metropolitan forest reservations had been in possession of the Commission two years and a half, the removal of dead wood had been accomplished, preliminary roads on the lines of the old woodroads had been opened to give the public and the employees of the Commission access to all parts of the reservations, and the topographical maps on a scale of 100 feet to the inch had been completed (early in 1896). Charles thought he saw in this state of things an opportunity to procure some beginning of landscape forestry work; and in January, 1896, he opened the subject to the Commission in the following letter, which proposed a small annual expenditure for supervision , and the diversion to forestry work of some of the labor regularly employed. As usual, his recommendations were moderate as regards expenditure—indeed, distinctly economical: January 8, 1896. We beg leave to submit the following suggestions concerning the work in the three woodland reservations:— From the date of the acquiring of these reservations to the present time, the forces employed have been engaged in two prin- 230 REstoRation and manaGEmEnt of thE nativE landsCaPE cipal works: (1) removing dead wood, both standing and fallen; (2) constructing preliminary roads on the lines of the old wood paths. Two winters have already been devoted to the first-named work, and two summers to the second. The reservations have been opened to carriages and horseback riders, and the preliminary roads are now quite sufficiently numerous. The work of the present winter ought to finally free the woods of the most dangerous part of the inflammable material. If the appropriations warrant the continuance of expenditure at the present rate, it would seem that some attention might soon be given to the restoration and betterment of the living vegetation, and we accordingly offer the following suggestions with respect to this delicate and most important work. The existing forests of the reservations comprise both sprout and seedling woods; the former consisting of shoots sprung from the stumps of felled or fire-killed trees, and the latter consisting of woods which have grown from seeds sown without human aid in lands which once were completely cleared for pasturage or cultivation. The restoration of the burnt and sprout lands to an interesting and beautiful condition will require years of labor in accordance with a well-laid scheme of economical management . Such a scheme we may outline presently. The work which calls for first attention is found in the reforested pastures. Here are to be seen most of the large trees and the only broad-spreading trees of the reservations . Around them press the seedling Oaks, Hickories, etc., which the birds and squirrels planted among the slow red Cedars, the short-lived gray Birches, and the beautiful wild shrubberies which were the first woody growths to appear in the old fields. If the lives of the older generation of spreading pasture trees are to be prolonged (as we hope they may be), it will be necessary to free them from the too close pressure of the trees of the younger generation, and at the same time to heal the most serious of the many wounds they have already received. The axe must be used to effect the first-named purpose, and the saw the second; but the axe must be used with discretion, and with care to retain enough of the vigorous young trees to fill the gaps when the veterans shall at last pass away. In other smooth parts of the seedling woods, where the...