LESSONS FROM DISASTER 235 



Miles Cents per 100 lbs. 



501 to 510 _ 27.15 



511 to 520 27.55 



521 to 530 •....,... 27.95 



531 to 540 28.35 



541 to 550 28.75 



551 to 560 ^ 29.15 



561 to 570 29.55 



571 to 580 29.95 



581 to 590 : , ^ 30.35 



591 to 600 1 30.75 



When rates are not provided for the exact distance the rates for 

 the next greater distance shown may be used. 



LESSONS FROM DISASTER. 

 C. S. Harrison, York, Nebr. 



The summer of last year was bad enough, but the summer of 1913 

 will long be remembered. It was pitiless, merciless. Day followed day 

 in a fierce attack on all vegetation. The corn went down before tliose 

 terrible blasts, the wonder is that anything lived. 



We always plant a good many cuttings. Soniceras, spireas, and sy- 

 ringas generally do well, but this year no sooner did they peep out of the 

 ground than the fierce sun was ready to scorch them. Almost all died, 

 save one; that was the silver tamarisk also called the Krissleen, the 

 Odesianua, and the Amurensis, all one and the same. Here in York we 

 have tried the ten sorts, all indeed that we could hear of. We gave them 

 a fair trial, but none but the silver was satisfactory. Some would sunburn 

 and some could not resist the cold. The Chinese, the Japanese (Algonus 

 perome) the African, the German, and French went under. The silver 

 tamarisk grows from cuttings, and unfavorable as it was, almost every 

 one lived, and some grew over two feet. They are exquisitely wonderful. 

 I think they take the lead of all the ornamental shrubs. There is the soft 

 delicate silvery foliage, fresh in the fiercest of the heat. It is wonderfully 

 well adapted to the semi-arid region. In fact, it does better there than 

 in the moister East. Even in Nebraska I have known it to mildew in a 

 wet season. It is at its best in the hottest and dryest of seasons. Added 

 to the charming foliage there are also delicate pink blossoms that line the 

 twigs, making it very attractive. I have seen them trimmed in many 

 forms, a beautiful globe and a cone shape. They will stand any amount 

 of cutting. The cemetery at Pueblo, Col., had a hard time finding a suit- 

 able hedge. I advised this, and they secured a thousand small plants 

 and soon had a charming hedge. The drouth and heat of that section 

 are terrible, but they rather enjoyed it. If you want to make sure of a 

 windbreak for a garden out in the semi-arid regions, get this shrub by 

 all means. Don't make your enclosure too large; perhaps an eighth of 



