384 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



little boy. He went after the cows one evening, and on his way 

 broke off a small switch from a tree to drive the cows with ; and 

 when he came home stuck it in the moist ground near the log cabin. 

 It rooted and has now become this big cottonwood. I do not think 

 a cottonwood is a desirable shade tree on a small town lot, as its 

 branches are more or less easily broken off in stormy weather, and 

 it sheds its leaves quite early in the fall of the year. But on a prairie 

 farm, where a great variety of trees should be planted, it is surely 

 worthy of a place. 



A red cedar about eight feet high was growing on my place when 

 I moved on to it ten years ago. It was growing in such a location 

 that I had to build my barn close up to it, and there has been all 

 kinds of tramping around it, and it has a number of times been used 

 as a hitching post. It is in full measure exposed to all kinds of 

 weather, and when it rains it catches the drippings from the barn 

 roof, and some winters has been nearly bent to the ground with a 

 heavy load of icicles. But in spite of all these hardships it is just 

 as robust as ever. Red cedar should be more generally planted. 

 It may not be the most ornamental evergreen, but surely is the most 

 hardy. I have seen them trimmed into different shapes, where they 

 looked both odd and ornamental. 



I had the honor of naming an avenue in Albert Lea, and I named 

 it "Cedar avenue" after one of my favorite evergreens, in prefer- 

 ence to naming it after some great statesman. I intend some day 

 to have this avenue lined on both sides with red cedars. 



If I was asked what evergreen I like the best, I would be apt 

 to answer like the little boy did when he was asked who he liked 

 the best, his father, mother, brother or sister. He answered: "I 

 like them all the best." But when asked again which one of the 

 four, said: "I guess mother." I would like to say that I like all 

 evergreens the best, but squeezed down to one kind — I guess the 

 cedar. 



Among some small red cedars I have there is one which is 

 staying perfectly green all winter, without turning brown the least. 

 It seems to be of a dwarf nature, with numerous branches very com- 

 pact. I planted it out on my front lawn last spring with the idea 

 that it will not grow up tall and obstruct the grand lake view from 

 my house. I have also a mountain pine on my front lot, which I 

 consider one of the best low growing evergreens. 



My juniper savin hedge is admired by all who see it, and the 

 end of it that is exposed to the full sunshine looks indeed very fine, 

 but the end that extends in among some tall shade trees is not doing 

 so well, but looks somewhat sickly. 



