AGRICULTURAL OBSERVATIONS ON TRUCKEE-CARSON PROJECT. 



9 



RUSSIAN OLEASTER. 



The Russian oleaster {Elaeagnus angustifolia), a close relative of 

 the native bufl'alo berry, is a very desirable tree to nse for hedges and 

 windbreaks. T( should find a place about every farm home on the 

 Truc'kee-Carson project to protect the house, garden, and orchard 

 from the winds, to outline driveways, or to hide unsightly buildings. 

 AMien the seedlings are planted 3 or 4 feet apart it makes a dense 

 hedge in two or three years that will turn-live stock. Cutting back 

 a little each year causes the hedge to thicken. When grown isolated, 

 it makes a sj'unnetrical tree with a round top. 



It is sometimes referred to as the Russian wild olive, but since it 

 does not belong to the olive i'amih'. but to the oleaster familv. the 



Fig. 1. — Hedge of Russian oleaster {Elacuf/iuis uiifjuniifolia) on the Truckee-t'arson Experi- 

 ment Farm. Tliis hedfe'e was set out in the spring of 1908, 1-year-old seedlings being 

 used. ( riiotograplied in August, IDIO. i 



name Russian oleaster is more accurate and should be used. This 

 species is native to northern Persia, southern Siberia, and northern 

 China. Seed can be obtain.ed in small quantities from the experi- 

 ment farm each year, or the seedlings may be obtained from some 

 nurserymen in the western part of the Mississippi Valley. 



A row of several hundred l-_year seedlings was set out at the ex- 

 periment farm in April, 1908. In the fall of 1009 the hedge was 

 7 feet high and so dense as to be impenetrable. During 1910 this 

 hedge was kept pruned back to a height of T feet, and the rt'^ult was 

 a beautiful, symmetrical hedge, as shown in the accoinpan3'ing ligure 

 (fig. 1). Some trees that were not pruned are now from 10 to 15 

 feet in height, the result of three years' growth from the 1-year seed- 

 lings. An abundant crop of seed was produced the third year after 

 nO.''.ll°— Cir. TS— 11 2 



