54 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
FORESTRY. The experiments with the various trees at the Station 
have now been continued for a period of about 15 years. Our present for- 
est plantation, which consists of five acres, was started in 1889. It now 
consists of about 40 species and varieties of trees, representing practically 
all the kinds of probable value in this section. In the older portion, the 
trees have made a very fine growth, and we are beginning to get forest 
conditions, and to get an idea of the possibilities of growth with trees on 
our land. We have raised seedlings of many kinds of trees, especially those- 
which are somewhat rare, or not generally propagated, such as Hackberry, 
Red Cedar and Basswood. In order to supplement the work at Central 
Experiment Station, we have planted out at Coteau Farm, which is located 
in the dryest portion of this state, in Lyons county, twenty plats of trees of 
different mixtures, including, in all, some 40 species and varieties of trees, 
to determine their value in that section of the state. The most of this 
PORTION OF OUR FOREST PLANTATION AT THE EXPERIMENT STATION. 
plantation is now six years old. It has made a very satisfactory growth, and 
is an object lesson that attracts much attention in the section in which it is 
located. The land in Lyons county is made up of rolling prairie, and there 
is a scant rainfall. The difficulty in growing trees there we have found to 
be chiefly in getting a windbreak established, after which many kinds of 
trees could be grown under its protection which otherwise could not live 
there. We have, for instance, had the earth blown away from seedlings that 
were exposed until they stood fully five or six inches out of the ground. 
The plan followed here has been to mulch the windbreak when first 
planted, and to continue the mulching process with the windbreak. Inside 
of this windbreak we have followed clean cultivation, setting the trees two 
feet apart in rows eight feet apart, and keeping the soil cultivated with an 
ordinary garden cultivator. This is probably the best way for the general 
care of windbreaks and shelter belts in such sections. In this section we 
have found even the White Spruce and the Scotch Pine unable to with- 
stand the severe conditions there existing unless a windbreak was first 
formed, after which, however, they seemed to thrive. This has also been the 
case with our hardier plums in this section. Where they have been planted 
on open prairie they have generally failed; but where they have been planted 
under the lee of a good windbreak, they have generally done well. 
The insects that have been especially hurtful to our forestry trees_have 
been the saw fly larve on willows and various other foliage eating insects. 
