of Itaral Art and Taste. 



233 



Iron Clad Evergreens. 



I5V B. A. MATHEWS. 



FOR many years our pomologists have 

 been throwing together their experience 

 at their different meetings and through the 

 press, in regard to fruits and fruit-raising in 

 the Northwest. Lists of " iron clad " varie- 

 ties have been agreed upon and published for 

 the information of the people. These are 

 now so well known, that few persons plant 

 varieties not adapted to our peculiar climate. 



Is it not time now that a list of " iron clad " 

 evergreens should be agreed upon ? We 

 know many have failed within the last 

 quarter of a century — some to a greater 

 extent than others. 3Iany perhaps had better 

 be discarded entirely. But probably the 

 great point is, how many should be retained ! 



It is decidedly discouraging to cultivate 

 our evergreens for five or ten years and then 

 have them fail us. Do the people not wish to 

 know before planting them, that they will 

 not act in this way ? 



I think it is not practicable to grow in the 

 Northwest the Deodar Cedar, Cedar of Leb- 

 anon, Cryptomeria, Corsican Pine, Halapen- 

 sis, Lawson's Cypress and Golden Arbor 

 Vitaa. Thuiopsis Borealis also, has died out 

 here. Others again, like Balsam Fir, White 

 Pine, American and Siberian Arbor Vitaes 

 and Norway Spruce have been considered 

 hardy, but of late years have not been giving, 

 by any means, complete satisfaction. Bal- 

 sam Fir I fear, will have to be planted more 

 sparingly hereafter, as it is prone to die out 

 at all ages. And we cannot say that there is 

 not far too much risk with American and 

 Siberian Arbor Vitses, Norway Spruce, White 

 Pine and Juniperus communis. Hemlock, 

 Red Cedar and Scotch Pine seem to fare 

 better. Indeed the latter, together with the 

 American Black Spruce, might almost be 

 classed as iron clads. 



The following kinds I have never known 

 to sustain injury from the severities of our 



winters : Abies Ceruba or Blue Spruce, 

 Austrian Pine, Russian Pine and Pinus 

 Montana. 



I should like to hear from others as to 

 whether the above list is reliable generally in 

 the Northwest, also what additional kinds 

 can be added to it. 



My desire in this matter is simply to elicit 

 facts. The people are becoming imbued 

 with the idea, to some extent, that evergreens 

 are tender and uncertain in the Northwest. 

 This holds good with some kinds, not with 

 others. Would it not be better, then, to find 

 out just what ones can be relied on with 

 certainty, and disseminate them only, than 

 allow to exist too great a cause for discourage- 

 ment in regard to evergreen planting ? 



Why not do as the Northwestern fruit- 

 growers did after their trees were killed so 

 by wholesale during the winters of 1855-50 ; 

 compare experience, and fall back on the 

 iron clads ? 



I might add here, that the American Black 

 Spruce has behaved well in this vicinity — 

 better than the European Black Spruce, as 

 the latter becomes discolored too much and 

 loses its foliage to a considerable extent. 

 The natives are also the thriftiest growers. 



The White Pine has not succeeded as well as 

 could be desired here for some years, though 

 the damage has been confined almost entirely 

 to trees that have been planted in ornamental 

 grounds, for say not more than five or six 

 years. As this tree gets older, it gets 

 hardier, and when ten or twelve years planted, 

 can be more confidently relied on. 



Were I to select a list that would probably 

 give the best satisfaction herq, and that at least 

 as nearly so as any list containing as many 

 kinds, would be almost a certain one, it would 

 be about as follows : Austrian, Russian, 

 Scotch and Mountain Pines ; Blue, American 

 Black and Hemlock Spruces. In addition to 

 these, the common Red Cedar is also quite 

 reliable — though not always so. 



I have known the Hemlock to kill when 

 small, but have seen comparatively little 

 trouble with it when it has once attained 

 some size. Have seldom known a Scotch 



