94 XEBKASICA. STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the Colorado Blue Spruce. It Is one of the very hardiest of evergreens. 

 I have seen it growing successfully from the peaks of the Rockies to the 

 Atlantic coast. Of all our category of trees there is not one that out- 

 strips it in delicacy of foliage. 



The next tree in hardiness is the White Spruce, from the Black Hills. 

 It lacks in beauty of foliage when compared with the Colorado Blue, but 

 makes up for that deficiency in rate of growth, being quite a rapid grower. 

 The Austrian and Scotch Pine are very hardy trees that will prove 

 successful in all parts of the state. 



For the eastern part of the state there are many evergreens that will 

 grow successfully and in addition to the above species may be added the 

 Norway Spruce, which is well ktiown to all of you. It grows successfully 

 as far west as Grand Island. The White Fir (Abies Concolor) is a beau- 

 tiful tree and remarkably hardy. In the same region the Red Fir 

 (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) will, I am sure, be found to be a successful tree. 

 It is neat, clean-cut and always has the appearance of being very much 

 alive. One or two such trees always have an enhancihg value on a lawn. 

 Throughout Central Kansas I have seen some very fine specimens of this 

 species, that range from 15 to 25 feet in height. In this state, at Ravenna, 

 some very nice trees of this species can be seeti. 



The White Pine is hardy in the eastern part of the state, but I would 

 not advise planting it west of York. There are a number of Dwarf 

 Mountain Pines, generally known as horticultural varieties, that are en- 

 tirely hardy, but these are strahgers to me and I cannot give their names 

 or advise using them for planting except in the eastern portion of the 

 state. 



The Chinese Arborvitae is a hardy tree and it makes a good variation 

 on the lawn. 



While ornamental planting is of great importance to the people of 

 our state, I feel that it is not of as much importance as the planting 

 of windbreaks and shelterbelts. 



WINDBREAKS AND SHELTERBELTS. 

 These two terms are used interchangeably and mean one and the same 

 thing. By either term we mean a belt of trees around the farm buildings 

 or around the farm to afford protection against wind storms. The farmers 

 of Nebraska have in many cases planted a single row of Cottonwood trees 

 along the boundary lines for this purpose. It is a good start in the 

 right direction. The Cottonwoods have now grown up, the crowns of 

 the trees in many instances being thirty and forty feet in the air, with 

 nothing beneath them but the supporting trunks to check the velocity 

 of the surface winds. To make the rows of Cottonwood trees effective 

 windbreaks they should be supplemented with a few rows of evergreen 

 trees. The pine and spruce retain their leaves the year round and are 

 therefore more valuable for windbreak purposes than the broad-leafed 

 trees. Four rows of evergreen trees planted along the south, west and 



