Jenny, Steven- The park I hiked in this past weekend was once owned by the Seiberling family(Goodyear Rubber)--I think a lot of 20th century industrialists deeded land to public domain, though not sure of the motives. I think many of the industrialists were unscrupulous on a business level, but generous on a public, philanthropic level---the edges become more blurred with time and history.
Steve On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 10:08 PM, JennyNYC <[email protected]> wrote: > > Steve, > > Oh man, I can't believe you know all this about du pont industries! I > don't have enough knowledge about modern industrial corporate > practices to have much of a dialogue about this. But as for the past, > I can say that I've read too much about the inhumanity of the old > industrialists - American or Otherwise - to be able to think highly of > them, no matter what goods and services they provided. But I would > completely change my story if Dupont did something to stop the hideous > recreational pigeon shooting in PA. Even though they are in Delaware. > > Oh, I did see those tremendous Cedar of Lebanon and some grand Norway > Spruce. But I just get so mad when the vegetation is upstaged in a > public garden by, oh, say, hundreds of fountains for example.... > > Jenny > > > > On Jul 7, 9:19 pm, "Steven Springer" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Jenny, > > > > But I gotta think he got a tremendously good deal on the property...just > > can't romanticize any of the "Great American Industrialists" or think > > of them as saviors of trees. > > > > Well, I cannot comment on what he may have paid for the property (the > country paid pennies to the dollar for lands that would be developed into > National Forests and National Parks), but come on Jenny, give credit where > credit is due. Du Pont Industries has a lot of properties (particularly > around the Chesapeake Bay) that have been preserved for conservation and > wildlife studies. Du Pont industries is also a large grant contributor > (money-wise) regarding wildlife and fisheries (and other environmental) > studies. > > > > Many of the "Great American Industrialists" have provided a lot of modern > necessities and luxuries that you and I enjoy and may take for granted. > American industries are more environmentally conscience than most foreign > entities, so I'm not willing to bash the "American way" and neither should > you. While there may be some "bad apples" within the realms of industry > regarding exploitation of natural resources, it would be unfair and > erroneous to lump all into the same pot. So don't fall prey to this. > > > > Longwood Gardens has some great tree specimens; Giant Sequoia, Cedar of > Lebanon, among others. They also have developed some popular azalea > cultivars such as "Delaware Valley White" (if you are a gardener and/or > plant 'appreciator' like me!). Also, it is a pretty place to visit during > Christmas time! > > > > All this plus the fountains make it worth the visit when in the Philly > area. > > > > (Barry, have you been to Longwood Gardens?) > > > > Steve Springer > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: [email protected] on behalf of JennyNYC > > Sent: Tue 7/7/2009 6:02 PM > > To: ENTSTrees > > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Longwood Tulip: PA height champion > > > > Steve, > > > > Yes, he bought land that belonged to a Quaker family, the Peirce's. > > They had owned the land nearly 200 years and along the way some trees > > not normally found in that part of the world were planted. It was a > > sweet little grove with, alas, many lovely and infested hemlocks. But > > I gotta think he got a tremendously good deal on the property...just > > can't romanticize any of the "Great American Industrialists" or think > > of them as saviors of trees. > > > > The lover of fountains will be in water-plumed heaven at Longwood, . > > Shows on the even hours....at night, set to music and incorporates > > light shows. > > > > Or visit the nice trees... > > > > Jenny > > > > On Jul 7, 5:54 pm, "Steven Springer" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Jenny, > > > > > Longwood Gardens is a neat place to visit. There is a story that the > > > whole place was started because Pierre was interested in saving a grove > > > of trees from development! How about that from a businessman!? Du Pont > > > has done a lot of positive things regarding conservation and > > > environmental study, in addition to general "giving back" to the > public. > > > Because of him, the state of Delaware does not have a sales tax. He > > > seems like he would have been an interesting individual to befriend. > > > > > Steve Springer > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On > > > > > Behalf Of JennyNYC > > > Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 4:16 PM > > > To: ENTSTrees > > > Subject: [ENTS] Longwood Tulip: PA height champion > > > > > ENTS, > > > > > I visited Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia yesterday and found > > > some great tulip trees, including one recently measured by ENTS member > > > Scott Wade! 163.3' height. PA height champion. > > > > > Nice forest, beautiful meadow...The rest was all about Fountains and a > > > massive Conservatory designed by early 20th century biggo Pierre du > > > Pont. Supposed to be an important botanical garden, but I just liked > > > the trees and meadow. > > > > > Fountains??? Can you get more cliche for one of these corporate > > > Napoleons? I read he used to 'entertain' his nieces and nephews by > > > putting secret fountain jets around the grounds and suddenly turning > > > them on to surprise them. They were probably traumatized by Uncle > > > Pierre... > > > > > Anyway. Here's a link to what i think is the tulip tree that Scott > > > measured. There was a beautiful maple too beside the meadow. There > > > were so many sugar maples that I assumed this was one, but it could be > > > a red. > > > > > > http://picasaweb.google.com/JennifDudley/TulipTreesAndASugarMapleLongwoo > > > d?feat=directlink > > > > > Jenny > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
