TREES AXD SHEUBS ABOUT THE HOME. 



383 



TREES AND SHRUBS ORNAMENTAL AND USEFUL 

 ABOUT THE HOME. 



J. O. SHARE, ALBERT LEA. 



(Read at the Meeting of Southern Minn. Hort. Society.) 

 I have some fine oaks on my place, and especially one of them 

 is a grand old tree, surely over a hundred years, but sound as a 

 dollar and likely will live another century. If this oak could tell 

 its own story it certainly would be an interesting one. Among other 

 things it would likely tell of severe storms and droughts, of win- 

 ters cold enough to root-kill any of the apple trees on the fruit list 

 adopted by our state society. It would tell of numerous wild ani- 



Kesidence of J. O. Share, facing Fountain Lake. 



mals chased by Indians, and of all the birds that have filled the air 

 with their songs. 



It would also tell of the meadow near by that was converted into 

 a beautiful lake, the Fountain Lake, with its shores dotted with flow- 

 ing wells, sparkling like diamonds. 



A person planting an oak will not live long enough to see it a 

 grand old oak like mine, but the grandchild may see it. And what a 

 fine monument it may make for the one who planted it ! 



The tallest tree on my lot and in the neighborhood is a cotton- 

 wood planted by one of my neighbors forty-five years ago, when a 



