ANNUAL REPORT 



setting is done l)y careful and skilled labor. Their roots are not fibrous, but few 

 and coarse, and very little exposure to wind or sun ruins them. But once fixed in 

 their place and growing, l)oth the Scotch and White pines are "just splendid, "and 

 good for ages. There is .some ol)jection to the Norway Spruce, because it more or 

 less sun-burns and looks Ijadly for a while in the spring, espeeiall}' after a severe 

 winter, and for a few 3'ears after it is transplanted. But they are very tenacious 

 of life, are easily transplanted, and if half cared for, very few fail. 



The first two years of my experiment a lot of Norways were sent me so badly 

 sun-burned that I was strongly tempted to throw them all into the fire— as I did 

 part of them. But the thought occurred to me, experiment with them ; see what 

 they will do. I accordingly set them out carefully, cut them back severel}', watched 

 them for two years doubtingly, but finally most of them gathered courage and 

 strength, and have made a success of it. And a year ago I sent one of these same 

 trees to Wilmar, and they wrote me it was the finest Christmas tree they ever had. 



The White Spruce is raiher of a myth with me. For ten years I have been buying 

 the White Spruce from one to six feet high, have never sold but one to m\- knowledge, 

 and yet have nut one on my grounds over a foot high. (Jf Black Spruce I have 

 plenty which does very well, if you cannot get anyling better, and is really very 

 fine, especially when small. Arborvitae is .specially designed for small hedges, and 

 I am inclined to think it ought to be planted more largely for all purposes. The 

 Hemlock is very modest on the prairies and wants to be kept in the shade. Were it 

 not for the loss in transplanting, the Scotch Pine undoubtedly should stand first in 

 the list. But as it is 1 think the real order of value is Norway Spruce and White 

 Spruce, if the real thing can be had. Balsam fir, Scotch and White pine, Arborvitae. 



When to plant ? There are but two seasons for setting out evergreens. The first 

 and best is in the spring, from the time the frost is out of the ground sufficiently to 

 set them, to the time when they are beginning to grow. For large trees the latter 

 part of the season is the best. The next best time is just after they are done grow- 

 ing in July or August. I have no confidence in moving evergreens after the first of 

 September. 



How shall we plant successfully ? In the first place dig carefully. Get good roots 

 to begin with. Then keep these roots from sun and wind - not even let them get 

 dry. In the second place have the ground in good condition and keep it t^o by good 

 tillage until the trees are well growing. Then they will take care of thsmselves. 

 In my light soil, I always water well where I .set a tree ; but never afterwards, and 

 pack down solid, so the tree will stand almost as firmly as before it was dug up. And 

 finally, when the tree is well set, mulch thoroughly, so thoroughly that the ground 

 will keep moi.st under the mulching the whole season. For small evergreens, good 

 cultivation will answer the place of mulching. 



As a smgle instance of the benefit of evergreens, I will state that a few years 

 since, the only currants which grew in our whole county, as far as I know, grew on 

 three rows of bushes which stood by the side of a double row of Scotch Pines, which 

 were then eight to ten feet high. The row next to the pines bore a full crop, the 

 second one half, and the third about one-fourth of a crop I enjoy my evergreens, 

 though often during the growing season, I have the feeling that they are going to 

 crowd me olf from the premises, yet in tbe winter, when all else is apparently dead, 

 they come to me with the beauty of life, and often clothe themselves gloriously with 



