310 Missouri State Horticulfurnl Society. 



foliage turns to a rich golden yellow. So far as known, it is wholly 

 exempt from insect pests. As a timber tree it is valuable, being 

 rapid in growth and furnishing the well-known "white wood," so 

 useful in cabinet and other fine work. It is found in all parts of 

 the country, but reaches its highest perfection in the rich soils from 

 Western New York to the Mississippi river. It is not uncommon 

 to find trees four and five feet in diameter at the stump. The 

 demand for the wood of this tree is so great that it is rapidly dis- 

 appearing. 



CULTIVATED CHESTNUTS. 



Here we face a long row of stalwart chestnut trees, twelve to 

 eighteen inches in diameter. A companion row has been removed 

 and cut and split into posts of ample size. The living specimens 

 are just forming burs in profusion. Some of them yielded two 

 bushels each of excellent nuts last year. They were set twenty- 

 eight years ago. " Why is it that so many people say this tree will 

 not succeed upon the prairie ?" we ask. " You see they do succeed. 

 It is as easy to grow them as it is to grow corn. The trouble is, 

 men insist on setting too large specimens. Set them when one year 

 old ; if older cut them back severely. This is the secret. They 

 are hardy and productive, and the timber is lasting and easily 

 manipulated, but remember, they must have dry land. Neither 

 they nor European larch can stand wet feet." — Prairie Farmer. 



THICK PLANTING. 



In planting new places, the landscape gardener usually has ah 

 eye to,what the place will be when, some twenty years hence, the 

 trees shall have grown. But few of us think of that picture. To 

 us these unfinished pictures need more filling now. 



We approve of thick planting. Trees grow faster for one an- 

 other's company, and a place well filled at once, saves many years 

 of time to see them grow. Those not wanted after the place has 

 grown some, can be transplanted to other parts of the ground. 

 Where thick planting is to be adojited, of course care mu'st be taken 

 in locating those permanently to remain. But the trouble usually 

 is that a thickly planted place is rarely thinned. People hate to 

 see a tree cut down. In the public squares of Philadelphia the trees 

 are crowding each other till the whole square looks like a crow's 

 nest. Grass will not grow, first, because of the shade ; secondly, 

 because of the poverty of the soil, and thirdly, because of the 

 drought from so many tree roots ; and though the city of Philadel- 

 phia appropriates $25,000 a year to improve the squares, one each 



