STATE HOETICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 37 



reason that the natural excels the artificial. We, of course, have 

 conveniences on the grounds for picnicers. An admission fee is 

 charged at the gate, to keep up and improve the grounds, as it has 

 been considerable work to put the grounds in order, as a great por- 

 tion of them were covered with hazel brush and blackberry vines, 

 which had to be removed, and then the natural blue grass came in, 

 forming a nice sod. The greater part we pasture, except in the 

 pleasure season. As the trees become thick enough to spoil the 

 grass, we remove them by cutting so close to the ground that it 

 would be hard to find where they stood. This can be easily done; 

 possibly one may have to get on his kness to chop so low, but that 

 will not hurt him. I find that by cutting low the trees do not 

 sprout so badly, or if they should sprout, when pastured, the cattle 

 keep the sprouts down. I can not see the economy of leaving 

 stumps eighteen inches to two feet high, unsightly and a waste of 

 wood. The extra wood will pay for the time taken in the low cut- 

 ting. We trim up high enough to let top buggies under the trees, 

 cutting limbs smooth to the tree. All brush must be entirely re- 

 moved from the ground. It does not do to fill the hollows with it, 

 for the water in a rainy time will wash loose soil underneath the 

 brush, and you have a ditch before you know it. The best way is to 

 remove all rubbish and let the hollow seed down to blue grass. I 

 also find it will not do to let teams on the grounds, except on grav- 

 eled roads, in a muddy time, for the water will follow the wheel 

 tracks and one good rain spoil the grounds. If on any occasion you 

 have your grounds cut up by wheel tracks, follow immediately with 

 sharp steel rake and level the ground where wheels have cut. This 

 is done rapidly, and saves a great deal of work thereafter. To pro- 

 tect the trees from careless persons tying to them, is one of the 

 greatest annoyances with which I have to contend. Although 

 having plenty of hitching posts and notices "Don't hitch to the 

 trees," it is always necessary for some one to be on hand to see that 

 this rule is enforced, or lose valuable trees by horses gnawing them. 

 Many a fine grove has been entirely ruined by hitching teams to the 

 trees. We have ])lanted from time to time evergreens on these 

 grounds. They now are from five to thirty feet high, the Scotch 

 Pine doing the best. Norway Spruce did finely until this season, 

 but am sorry to say I have lost largely by the drouth. Have Hem- 

 lock and Mountain Pine doing well. Balsam Fir and Irish Juniper 

 not doing so well. 



I have planted only a few deciduous trees, as the natural growth 

 was sufficient for shade. The last two seasons have been very hard 

 on newly-planted trees in parks and yards. We must be prepared 

 to irrigate or mulch heavily, or both, our newly-planted trees, and 

 to fertilize those already planted, for removing the grass and the 

 constant tramping impoverishes the soil, and we must do something 

 to keep up the growth. Stable manure spread over the grounds in 



