THE SHELTER BELT 379 



This would be very desirable where the shelter belt is for the 

 protection of an orchard or garden, as it would retain nature's pro- 

 tective blanket, the snow. 



I am not posted to say what varieties are best. My oldest trees 

 are Scotch pine of thirteen years' growth. Their average height 

 now is sixteen feet. I have fifty Norway spruce and fifty jack pine 

 that are doing nicely, but they are too small yet for shelter. 



In the year of 1890 I planted 150 Scotch pine seedlings six 

 inches high. I planted two rows, twelve feet apart, and ten feet 

 apart in the row, with shelter belt of maple and willow on the west 

 side. They now average about sixteen feet in height. I do not 

 know if that is to be considered a very rapid growth, but this I 

 know, that for several years they have been an excellent protection 

 against the piercing west and northwest winds. They stand about 

 fifteen rods west of the barn. 



This shelter of deciduous trees could now be cut down, thus fur- 

 nishing a great amount of wood, and the two rows of pine would 

 afiford shelter enough, thus reducing the amount of land used to 

 a minimum. 



My neighbor remarked the other evening, "when I get to the 

 cross roads and turn east it feels like getting out of a storm and 

 into a house, for about sixty rods." 



It cannot be too strongly urged that our school houses and 

 churches in the country be provided with these excellent shelters, 

 most of which are badly in need of them, usually standing on a hill 

 without any protection whatever. 



THE BEST STRAWBERRY IN EXISTENCE. 



R. C. LIVINGSTON, SPRING VALLEY. 



This is a big claim for any one variety in a family composed 

 of hundreds of varieties. In the year 1889, one C. M. Middleton, 

 of somewhere "Down East," originated a new variety of the straw- 

 berry family. After a thorough test, this variety having proved it- 

 self all in point of plant, size, shape, color and flavor of berry that 

 its originator could wish, he determined that it should have a name 

 commensurate with its great worth. The name of Washington 

 was proposed. It should perpetuate the name of the great soldier, 

 statesman and patriot. Objection was made to this on the ground 

 that Washington was not a horticulturist. Recourse was had to 

 the records of the "Father of his Country," and it was found that 

 once upon a time he hacked, mutilated and cut down a promising 

 young cherry tree and later had declared his inability to tell a lie. 



