THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART XI. G69 



grees below zero. The question is often asked, Could we do without the 

 evergreen? I would answer no; and if this be true we should consider 

 the propagation and care of same. 



We must commence at the beginning — that is, the seed. I would like 

 to say right here that this is a peculiar branch of the nursery business, in 

 which few nursery men even care to engage and so is i n to a few men 

 who make a specialty along this line. I would not advise the ordinary 

 farmer to attempt in the growing of this beautiful tree from the seed. 

 Still if you desire to do so I will give you a few brief directions. First 

 of all secure good seeds; make your beds in width of four feet and any 

 desired length owing to the quantity of seed you wish to plant. In prepar- 

 ing your seed bed make the ground very rich and well pulverized, then 

 sow the seed soon after being gathered in the fall, so they will lay about 

 one-fourth of an inch apart, core with sifted sand to a depth of one-fourth 

 inch and cover the whole with a light layer of leaves protect the beds with 

 lath frames raised about six inches from the ground. It is well to sprinkle 

 the beds with water sufficient to keep the sand moist, pull out all the weeds 

 as soon as they appear and never let them get two or three inches high. 

 Seedlings from these beds are transplanted at two years old and at thi^ 

 time any one can grow them successfully by using good judgment in the 

 planting of the young trees. It is not necessary for me to enumerate the 

 various kinds of evergreens, and will name only a few which make the 

 quickest growth. These aje the Norway Spruce, Scotch and White Pine, 

 while the Cedar is not far behind and is one of the very best for shelter 

 belts. If we could look upon the evergreens high up on the mountains ana 

 see them growing out of the rocks where scarcely any other vegetation 

 can grow, then we would wonder why so many of us fail in growing this 

 beautiful tree here in our rich and productive soil. It is simply this: the 

 average farmer does not take the necessary care of the young tree, sup- 

 posing they will stand as much sun and wind to their roots as the maple 

 or willow, and when thus exposed you had just as well consign them to the 

 brush pile. 



SOME NOXIOUS WEEDS AND HOW TO DESTROY THEM. 



F. 0. Harrington, before the Ioioa County Farmers 1 Institute. 

 During the year just passed, which was remarkable for its extremes 

 of rainfall, the weeds became more conspicuous than usual. This should 

 naturally awaken interest in the subject of the destruction of weeds among 

 those who till the soil. For the complete destruction of a noxious plant 

 the production of seed must be prevented, which in the case of annuals 

 is sufficient, but in the case of biennials or perennials the root stock must 

 be killed. This is very simple with many kinds, and in no case imprac- 

 ticable, and so it might seem at first thought, that with the best ways of 

 destruction being known, one might reasonably hope for complete eradi- 

 cation. But still in the case of weeds that have become abundant and 



