14 STATE P0M0L0G1CAL SOCIETY. 



ful, plant a low screen (but one that will grow to be ten or twelve feet high) 

 along the exposed side or sides of the kitchen garden, and in so doing provide 

 the needful shelter for early vegetables, as well as a nook for the location of a 

 hot-bed and cold frames. Having provided for these needs, attention may- 

 next be given to the screening of the orchards from westerly or northerly 

 winds. I am not unaware that some intelligent orchardists doubt the advan- 

 tage of such protection, but I fancy that after a man shall have lost, or nearly 

 lost, for year after year, the one-fourth or one-half of his crop of fruit from 

 the effect of high winds, just before the picking season, a slight effort of the 

 imagination might convince him that less wind and more fruit might have been 

 for his advantage. 



There are, doubtless, reasons why a screen for the protection of an orchard, 

 especially if it contains cherries, plums, peaches, or even pears, should be open 

 enough to impede but not fully arrest the circulation of the air, but this I 

 regard as more important with reference to the effect in summer in preventing 

 extreme heat, or in spring and fall in preventing frost, and in dissipating the 

 moisture sometimes supposed to occasion the rotting of the fruit ; while in 

 winter we hardly think there can be danger of any kind from the influence of 

 a screen, no matter how dense. The next and best general use to be made of 

 screens should be as windbreaks for the shelter of exposed farms. There can 

 be little need in our climate of screens or windbreaks upon the south or east; 

 and there is, even upon the north, far less need than upon the west ; although 

 some of our coldest and most trying winter winds come from the northwest. 

 The great need of protection is, therefore, upon the west ; and it is doubtless 

 here that the strongest and tallest windbreaks are required. So much must 

 depend upon the contour of the land that it hardly seems practicable to devise 

 any rule for the location of screens for its protection, beyond the statement that 

 the object should be to prevent the direct impact of strong currents of wind 

 upon the surface. 



There remains to be noticed the locating of screens (generally about the res- 

 idence) for the purpose of shutting out disagreeable or undesirable views, as 

 for instauce, the hiding from view of offensive buildings, or the cutting off 

 from the parlor views of the farm yards and stock. For such purpose the 

 finer evergreens only should be employed, and those only allowed to reach the 

 height actually necessary for the purpose. 



HOAV TO CARE FOR THEM. 



The last question I was to answer concerning evergreens was "how to care 

 for them." I could answer shortly by saying, give them the same attention 

 that should be given an orchard tree. Do not dig a little hole in the sod and 

 stick the tree into it, expecting soon to see wonderful developments in leaf and 

 branch, but put them in with great care and give them culture. There is 

 nothing like stirring the earth to keep an evergreen growing. It will not do 

 to stop the cultivator as soon as new growth appears, but continue it through 

 the season ; not only this, but, to secure the best results, it is wise to cultivate 

 the second and even the third year. Mulching is advocated by many, but I 

 prefer good culture to the best of mulch. 



Never shear a tree which you wish to develop into the best form of natu- 

 ral beauty. Too many seem to wish to mend nature by shearing into artificial 

 forms, but the natural habit of the evergreens I have named, when exposed 

 fully to the light, cannot be improved. Plenty of room should be given to the 

 strong growing sorts, and the lower branches should be preserved from injury. 



