NOTES FKOM YORK EXPERIMENT STATION. 255 



home is inclosed witli beautiful Avindbreaks. Inside of them 

 is the quiet of a forest. Flowers bloom in all their beauty. 

 Their fragile petals can open in all their delicacy and wooing 

 loveliness without fear of bitter persecution. 



WHAT SHALL WE PLANT FOR HEDGES? 



If you want something coarse and strong as well as de- 

 fensive you can take the osage orange. But that needs a 

 good deal of pruning to ke.^ep in shape. Once established, how- 

 ever, it is a good protection both against animals and storms. 

 A good many use the Eussian mulberry. This will do for a 

 few years, but a strong gro^A'ing tree confined to narrow limits 

 soon becomes cramped and enfeebled. This also needs severe 

 trimming to keep it in shape. 



English buckthorn is hardy and makes a good windbreak. 

 This, however, needs constant attention to keep it in shape. 

 Russian olive is the best tree for a windbreak out in the 

 semi-arid regions. It endures the drouth the best of anything 

 except the honey locust which is the best tree known for a 

 dry country with alkali and gumbo soils. This is also used 

 for protective hedges. 



THE PRIVET. 



Of late years this has been very popular where you need 

 simply a low ornamental border which can be kept closely 

 trimmed. This is very beautiful. It stands shearing well, 

 and is very popular and in great demand. It retains its 

 foliage until late in the fall which gives it additional attrac- 

 tion. But unfortunately it is not hardy. Some winters it 

 kills to the ground and will often be killed out, root and 

 branch. 



Here at York we have had the vulgaris, silver edge, golden, 

 Swedish, ibota, and regal and California types. The ibota 

 has been heralded as the hardiest of all. With us it is ab- 

 solutely worthless — the most tender of all. Ours is a trying 

 climate on account of the winter drouth. Some things per- 

 fectly hardy in Manitoba kill to the ground here. Our dry 



