(GROWING HARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. 405 



The European larch is a very much neglected timber tree. 

 On ovir old farm in Chickasaw county, Iowa, one of the first 

 tasks I was set to, as a small boy, was to plant a grove of 

 European larch. A few years ago we had occasion to frame a 

 barn and used some of these trees as timbers for the barn, and 

 they squared six inches thirty-two feet from the ground. Those 

 trees had been standing probably thirty-five years. It is a rapid 

 growing tree, and the reason it has not been more largely dis- 

 eminated throughout southern Minnesota is due to the fact that 

 it starts very early in the spring and is very difficult to handle 

 after it is once started. It should be handled in the fall or 

 early in the spring. 



Among the hardy shrubs we have the white and purple 

 fringe, the golden chain, the weigelias, the viburnums and the 

 various forms of the syringa, or lilac. Of the lilacs we have an 

 endless variety. Among some of the better ones are the Japon- 

 ica, the Persian, the Vilosa and the tree lilac. Of course we all 

 have the snowball, which are always very attractive. Another 

 shrub that is attracting some attention is the English buck- 

 thorn. They can be readily propagated from seed, which is 

 also true of many of our trees, such as the basswood, the elms, 

 the oaks, the hackberry, the maples, black walnut and butter- 

 nut. The barberry Thunbergii is a shrub that does not re- 

 ceive the attention that it should, for we know of nothing bet- 

 ter for small hedges. 



Prof. Green : It is not on the list with us. 



Mr. Sherman : I am surprised at that, because I supposed 

 that it was perfectly hardy any place. 



The President : I would like to ask whether it is practicable 

 to grow the cut leaf birch. 



Mr. Sherman : I do not think it is entirely so. 



Mr. Hawkins : I failed to grow the eunonymous from seed. 



Mr. C. S. Harrison : You have to leave the seed in the 

 ground two years. 



"Mr. Hawkins : I did that, and I mulched it, and it did not 

 come the second year. 



The President : I had the same experience myself. 



Mr. C. E. Older: Will the cut leaf birch grow from seed? 



Mr. Sherman : I think the seed gathered from a cut leaf 

 birch cannot be depended upon to produce the cut leaved young 

 birch. 



Prof. Green : I got the ordinary form, and I had no trouble 

 with it. 



