Timely Hints for Farmers. 275 



trees and plants much less than in the more even climate of 

 Southern California ; while the aridity of the air and the scarcity 

 of water makes drouth -resisting forms to be preferred. 



The experience of several years past on the University 

 grounds has shown some things especially suitable for an arid 

 mesa underlaid with the limy hardpan commonly known as ca- 

 liche. 



Trees. Among trees, the pepper stands not far from first 

 for such a situation, being a graceful evergreen, a rapid grower, 

 and thriving on relatively little water. This tree, sweeping the 

 ground with its lower branches, may serve admirably as a screen, 

 but may also be trimmed up into a taller and more shapely form. 

 The Arizona ash is a slow grower, but never sulks; prospering 

 when water is abundant, maintaining life and waiting for its op- 

 portunity when water is scarce. The Bagote, a species of Palo 

 Verde, is an attractive oddity, evergreen, graceful and covered 

 with a wealth of yellow blossoms for three weeks in the spring. 

 One tree on the University grounds has thriven for three years 

 past without irrigation, but is slightly damaged by our coldest 

 winter weather, say 20 degrees F. The date palm is highly 

 ornamental and when well watered takes strong hold on rocky 

 soils. When ornament alone is considered, however, Phoenix 

 canariensis, closely resembling the date palm, is perhaps prefer- 

 able. It is a more vigorous grower and does not put forth the 

 troublesome growth of suckers which must be removed from the 

 date. The native cottonwood, too, though it has its enemies, is 

 an excellent thing to plant — next year. This year you should 

 watch the trees in your neighborhood and mark the males — those 

 which produce pollen-bearing blossoms and no cotton. Switches 

 from this source will produce clean trees free from the annoying 

 nuisance of cotton. Perhaps the handsomest trees on the Univer- 

 sity grounds are three cottonwoods, about nine years old, but 50 

 feet high and with trunks 16 to 20 inches in diameter. All of 

 these trees will force sufficient root room for themselves in cali- 

 che, if properly irrigated. 



The olive, the umbrella tree and the Washingtonia palm are 

 less hardy in the hardpan soil of our location, being occasionally 

 subject to a destructive root rot where, apparently, the health of 



