36 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



pouring in water, as some do. If the ground is dry, and you pour 

 in water, most of it will go into the soil; and there is also danger 

 of starting too much of a growth. If the dirt is packed firm it will 

 do better. With many trees, especially the hard maple, we wash 

 the trees with some strong alkali — say concentrated lye to keep 

 out borers. It is cheap and can be put on frequently. Elms- 

 should be treated in the same way. I would not advise planting 

 maple but some want it. 



Mr. Dunning — Speaking about working in the dirt, that is well 

 enough, but after that is done, I think a pail of water will finish, 

 packing in the dirt better than it can be done in any other way. 



Dr. Lyons, Hamilton — I have adopted evergreens as ornamental 

 trees. I planted with care, and lost hundreds of trees. Yet I 

 thought things were done in the best manner possible, but that 

 won't save the evergreens from dying. All the water and all the 

 care in the world will not preserve evergreens if you once let the 

 dirt dry on the roots. The outside moisture on the roots must 

 not be allowed to dry, if you want the tree to live. There is a 

 resinous substance on the outside of the roots, and if the roots 

 once become dry, water can never penetrate that resinous cover- 

 ing, and the plant cannot but die. There is not a tree on my 

 place that I don't prune every year. I have a pair of long shears, 

 and in some cases I climb the trees. I sent to the State of Maine 

 before I got an Arbor Vitee that would grow. 



Mr. Pearson — The gentleman evidently understands the mystery 

 of planting evergreens. As he tells you, if the roots dry, they 

 will never live. There has been through the West almost a furor 

 for planting evergreens. They are planted because they are rare. 

 But from my observation and experience I want to say that we 

 have not an imported evergreen that has proved itself worthy of 

 planting to stand more than twenty years. The Norway Spruce 

 which has been at the head of the list, ninety-nine out of every 

 one hundred of them when they are twenty-five feet high are a 

 nuisance, if not taken care of. I have some that are thirty years 

 old and they are worrying me. I know that I must keep the tops y 

 the upper limbs, trimmed, shorter than the lower ones or else the 

 tree will be full of holes. I would advise to set out what we have 

 near us, though we have nothing native with us except the little- 



