THE NORWAY POPLAR. 203 



to seven inches in diameter. When the trees are from five to eight 

 inches thick, I cut out every other row. This gives the remaining 

 trees a better chance to grow, and the cut trees make good firewood. 



I have twenty rows of poplar on the west and north of my yards 

 and buildings, and ten rows on the south and east, in addition to a 

 large number of soft maple and box elder trees and evergreens. Had 

 it not been for my grove, my buildings would have been blown down 

 in a tornado last July, as that storm took down a number of farm- 

 er's buildings in my neighborhood not well protected by groves. 

 These winds tested my trees, and they stood the storm well. A small 

 number were blown down, and one tree twelve inches in diameter 

 was torn out by the roots. Some oak trees near by were destroyed. 

 My poplars seem to stand the wind as well as the oak thus far. This 

 proves that the poplar is a sturdy tree, and a good storm protecter. 

 Every orchard should be protected by such a windbreak. 



For a windbreak and snow catcher the slips can be planted every 

 eighteen inches. I let all the limbs grow on the outside row of trees ; 

 they grow out very thick. The more limbs the more brush, and that 

 will stop the wind, and the snow will pile up in and around the trees, 

 and not be in and on everything in the yard. The inside trees are 

 stripped, say the first year, from the top of the tree down to the 

 bottom. The way I do it, I wear a glove, so it will not injure my 

 hand. I take hold of the top of tree with the left hand and with the 

 right hand I strip off the leaves and little twigs, and they will not 

 grow any more. The next year I do the same. I do this when the 

 leaves and twigs are from one-third inch to one and one-half inches 

 long. But if I want to plant more trees the next year I let a good 

 many of those twigs grow. These will make cuttings for the next 

 spring's planting. 



Leave two buds of the cutting above the ground when planting, 

 and if both buds grow only the strongest one should be left to grow, 

 and the weakest one cut off. That is the way I treat my trees and 

 have the best of success. 



By planting two rows around the hog pasture and stock pasture 

 in four or five years it will make the best kind of shade for the stock. 

 I have planted Norway poplar trees or sHps on the south side of my 

 pasture and lane for shade for the stock, and in warm, sunny days 

 the stock will come up to shade themselves. The Norway poplar 

 grove makes one of the best shade trees I have seen, as the leaves 

 are very plentiful on them and very large. The ground should be 

 plowed at least seven inches deep and well manured where a grove 

 is to be planted, as the little roots need the ground very loose and 

 mellow, and that will give the little trees a good start. This tree 



