NATIVE EVERGREENS OF MINNESOTA. 419 



NATIVE EVERGREENS OF MINNESOTA. 



D. A. GAUMNITZ, MINN. SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. 



Not longf ago, as I was making a trip over a section of this state 

 by rail I observed, as I sat by the window, that a great many 

 houses appeared to have no life about them. Doors of buildings 

 were off their hinges, fences down, everything appeared to be in a 

 shiftless, lifeless condition, while others, although they were not of 

 the best buildings, appeared to be neat and tidy. There were groves 

 around them which seemed to speak. You could feel a thrill of 

 pleasure, a longing to get nearer; your feelings towards one an- 

 other were kinder; you would forget for a time all about the hard 

 times, the struggle for wealth and honor, and give yourself to the 

 enjoyment of nature. 



The thought came to me, what is it that makes this great differ- 

 ence? It is the cheerful and enndbling influence that the trees have 

 on the families. Then why cannot all of us enjoy this pleasure of 

 life? There are trees suited for all conditions. Let us look over the 

 state and see what we can find for our purpose in the native ever- 

 greens. 



The red cedar is one of the most widely distributed evergreens we 

 have. We find it growing in dry soils and also in swamps. It is 

 hardy and durable, growing in nearly every locality. This makes 

 it very desirable for planting around homes, as it is a very valuable 

 ornamental tree for this section. It is a rather slow grower except 

 when young, and makes the best kind of low windbreak or hedge. 

 It stands pruning well and,therefore,can be made to be of much ben- 

 efit for ornamental purposes as well as for windbreaks. The timber 

 is valuable, as it is more durable in contact with the soil than any 

 other native evergreen. It is used for cabinet work, in the manu- 

 facture of tubs and pails, and is almost the only kind of wood used 

 in making lead pencils; but in this section it does not attain suffi- 

 cient size to be useful for most of these timber purposes. 



The jack pine is hardy, growing in poor, sandy soils and lands 

 that have been burned over severely. In this state it covers large 

 tracts of such lands. It is sometimes called the fire pine, because 

 the cones generally remain closed until a fire sweeps over and 

 causes them to open and let their seed out. 



The jack pine is not a pretty tree and is seldom used for orna- 

 mental purposes; nor does it often get large enough to be used for 

 timber, but it is one of the hardiest evergreens we have, adapted to 

 growing on dry, loose, sandy soils, and having the power to with- 

 stand drought well. The jack pine is of very rapid growth when 

 young. This, with its hardiness, adapts it to the dry, sandy soils of 

 the northwest. It is often used as a nurse tree for Norway and white 

 pine, which soon outgrow it. 



The Norway pine is found in the northeastern part of the state, 

 and like the jack pine, grows in sandy soils and is comparatively 

 hardy. Within or near its range, it makes an excellent tree for orna- 

 ment or windbreak. It has a robust, sturdy appearance and would 

 undoubtedly be planted more if the seedlings could be obtained 

 cheaper. The reason for this is that the squirrels are so fond of the 



