rivalling Italy in its cloudless sky and serenity of atmosphere. A belt, several 

 rods iu width, of forest trees should be planted near buildings, on west, nortli, 

 and northeast sides. For those who would have the very best, I would recom- 

 mend evergreen-trees, of which the Norway spruce, hemlock, and American arbor 

 vitas are the most durable for screens. Plant seedlings; by the time they are of 

 a proper size there will be a demand for all in the market" — and fifty times more, 

 we add. He recommends, also, Austrian pine, black spruce, Scotch pine, red 

 spruce, Cembran pine, Norway pine, white pine, European silver fir, and Siberian 

 arbor vitae. Of these, we should give the preference to the Austrian pine and 

 the silver fir. Mr. Edwai'ds thinks that cedar of Lebanon, Deodar cedar, Arau- 

 carian pine, Excelsa, Douglass spruce, Menzie's spruce, and English yew, are too 

 tender ; with the protection of hedges this can hardly be the case ; they should 

 not be given up without many efforts. Evergreens are what are most wanted. 



One of the best essays in the volume on tree culture is by Edson Harkness. 

 He considers that all the elements of nutrition for growing timber seem to be 

 abundant in the soil of the prairies, and success has attended his experiments in 

 deep black soil, with a nearly level surface. His list includes the above trees, and 

 embraces American larch (tamarac), tulip and chestnut, black and white walnut, 

 black locust, and Lombardy poplar. Of these, we should select the black walnut, 

 the wood of which has already an increasing commercial value, and is second to 

 mahogany ; and for early use the American larch, which would very soon make 

 valuable poles, and when thinned, the remainder would become highly useful tim- 

 ber. An acre — says another writer, Adnah Williams, of Galesburg — of locust 

 would give a result of $480 in seventeen years, or nearly $30 per year as the 

 product. Here is inducement enough to grow timber on land that could be 

 bought much below a few months! return, and locust posts will always be wanted 

 in that country of railroads. But the great idea combined is shelter, protection, 

 and consequent comfort and happiness to man, beast, and bird, which cannot be 

 measured iu gold and silver, nor enumerated in dollars and cents. In the in- 

 stances where shelter was provided, Mr. Williams says that, during the past 

 (1853) severe season, both apple and peach-trees w^ere loaded with fruit. He 

 alludes, as do many of the writers, to the Horticulturist, and says, an article 

 which appeared in it by the late editor, was " not only worth the price of a 

 volume, but a dozen, to any man who has an acre of land." 



There is an important suggestion in a former number of this journal regarding 

 the planting of trees on the sides of railroads, which, where the land owned by 

 tlie companies is not of sufficient breadth, might be difficult in practice, but on 

 the central Illinois routes the space set a[)art for the com])any's use is fully one 

 hundred feet wide, offering the best possible site for the growth of timber where 

 it is wanted, and offering a prospect of wood for repairs of the route, as well as 

 timber for the wants of settlers ; thereby increasing the freight of the road, to 

 othing of the profits, which may be set down at an interest on a thousand 

 the cost of the planting. 



