GC78G36 Arboretum, Tiszaigar (Traditional Cache) in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Hungary created by wild_colonial

This cache is temporarily unavailable.

lj.: I wont travel here any time soon, so either some body renew the box or I archive it

GC78G36 ▼

A cache by wild_colonial_boy Message this owner

Hidden : 7/5/2017

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Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The PET micro cache is dedicated to Arboretum near Tiszaigar village.

1. The past and present status of the area

Tiszaigar is situated in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, 10 km south of Tiszafüred. The denominative river used to flow here. The arboretum was established along the dried out river-bed that had been filled up. Péter Széky, land-owner and military engineer, initiated the creation of the arboretum with great competence on one of the driest part of the Great Hungarian Plain in 1867. He wanted to establish a 2-hectare gardenwith tree and shrub species native to nearby localities. The first Pedunculate Oaks, White Poplars and Black Poplars, Common Ashes, Small-leaved Limes, Rowan species and Yews are still in good health, even though all were planted at that time. Creating an ‘oasis at the edge of Hortobágy’ was due to the fresh alluvial soil, the good water supply and the favourable micro-climate.

Péter Széky Jr., the son of the founder, went on with the enlargement of the garden in 1874. He started to plant mountain species native to Hungary and exotics. The park was already 9 hectares at that time. From the early 1880s, this work was promoted by the close friendship between the owner and Pál Bolza, the manager of the Arboretum in Szarvas. After half a decade, a tree nursery was established here too, by a gardener called Antal Springer. The high quality saplings of the nursery were advertised in print from 1887. Many of our big city parks and alleys have their trees from there. The Arboretum of Erdőtelek was also enriched from this nursery by József Kovács. The big Pedunculate Oaks behind the Kossuth statue in Debrecen and the Pedunculate Oaks in Margaret Island, Budapest and many trees and shrubs in the park of Zirc Abbey came from there. Saplings were also taken to the Arboretum of Szarvas in the 1890s.

The direction of the Park was passed to the hands of the granddaughter, Ilona Széky, a qualified gardener and member of the German Dendrological Society in 1917. She reorganized the plantation in a practical way. At that time, 270-280 tree and shrub species and subspecies could be found here. By 1920, the construction of the Arboretum was completed. Interestingly, the World Wars didn't make any harm to the Arboretum (in contrast to other parks). Due to the activities of the unqualified new owners assigned during the socialism, numerous species disappeared, for example most of the Alpenroses (Rhododendron) were lost. The tree nursery was restarted by the Forestry of Szolnok, the manager of the area, at the beginning of the 1950s.

269 tree and shrub species (and their varieties) were listed by József Papp, the famous horticulturist-botanist, in 1954. The cultivation of ornamental trees and shrubs restarted in 1955. The 9-hectare park was designated as nature conservation area in the operational plan of the Forestry in 1956. It was enlarged to 20 hectares in 1958 and 25.3 hectares in 1983. 20.1 hectares of the area was declared as a nature conservation area in 1976. This was due not only to its beauty and its dendrological values, but also to the fact that this is the single large stand of trees in the Nagykunság that is otherwise poor in woodlands. Its importance in tourism rose especially fast after creating the Tisza-lake.

2. Description and nature conservation of the area

According to a 1985 survey, there were 373 deciduous and evergreen tree and shrub species (subspecies and varieties) in the present area (20 hectares) of the Arboretum. 147 of them are deciduous trees, 114 are deciduous shrubs and 112 are conifers and evergreens.

Presently, its Oak collection consists of 15 species or varieties. Worthy of mentioning are the American White Oak, Willow Oaks, Shingle Oaks, Burr Oaks and the Caucasian Oak. Out of the several hundred years old Pedunculate Oaks, the most famous one with twin branches has a 200 cm diameter trunk. Other valueable trees of the Arboretum are the Algerian Cedar, the Arolla Pine, the Bhutan Pine, the Giant Sequoia, the old Tulip Tree, the Sweet Gum and the Yellow-wood. The two-and-a-half-hectare stand of Swamp Cypresses and the more than hundred years old Yews are unique and amazing specimens. The big Horse-chestnut and the productive Turkish Hazel are truly charming. The glorious Magnolias (Magnolia obovata, M. kobus, M. soulangeana, acuminata) recall the oriental atmosphere of the distant Chinese and Japanese gardens in early spring, unfolding their flowerbuds before andy other tree does. The nice collection of Maple trees consists of 8 species and 18 varieties or subspecies. Similarly valuable is the Common Beech stand. It consists of 7 varieties. There are 8 Willow species in the garden, too.

Nature shows a colourful face with the nesting and migrating avifauna of the lush garden. We should mention the ‘tree-doctor’ Black Woodpecker, the vividly coloured Golden Oriole and the Chaffinch that nests here in great numbers.

The present manager of the Arboretum - the Nagykunság Forestry - started an extensive reconstruction work, the area was enlarged, unwanted trees and shrubs were removed, missing plants were replaced, name-plates were provided for plants and pleasant picnic places were created.

Opening hours: 04.01.-10.31./ Mo-Su: 08.00-17.00; 11.01.-03.31./ weekdays:08.00-16.00
Entry fee is 400HUF/person (in 50,100,200 coins, machine tickets)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ryrpgevp cbyr

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)