170 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



among' the Russian. Salix Acutifolia may be admired as an orna- 

 mental tree. All the Russian Poplars have done well except that 

 40 Riga and 23 Riga, which look alike, have developed a kind of blight 

 which attacks the bodies of j^oung trees and gives them a gnarly, 

 bad appearance. Eleagnus Angustifolia,or Wild Olive, has proved 

 hard}' thus far and is desirable for ornament. 



Among evergreens, Scotch Pine, Red Pine and Dwarf Mountain 

 Pine are most hardy. White Pine does not stand drouth so well. 

 White Spruce and Colorado Blue Spruce come next in hardiness. Of 

 fift}" of the Blue Spruce purchased, not more than six or eight were 

 blue enough to make them much more ornamental than White Spruce. 

 Norway Spruce is a goodtree,but frequently fails to grow limbs down 

 to the ground on account of the snow line difficult}^. It is a fine street 

 tree. Balsam Fir is a very pretty tree but short lived and should 

 onl}' be planted for ornamental purposes in favorable localities, 

 where a long lived tree is not wanted. American Arbor Vitae does 

 not stand drouth very well, and needs a little protection or irrigation 

 in most places. Siberian Arbor Vitae is a little more hardy. I have 

 not yet had the genuine Northern Red Cedar, which is hardy. Per- 

 sons buying should be on the lookout, or thej" may get Southern 

 Red Cedar, which is of no value. The European Larch is inuch 

 superior to the American Larch, grows rapidly, makes a fine sym- 

 metricallj^ formed top and should be extensively planted for timber 

 and ornament. 



In bulletin twenty-four, 1892, froin our central station, cotton- 

 wood is described as short lived, coming to maturity in twenty 

 j'^ears or less. In appended notes, I am reported as calling it 

 a very poor tree. If I said this, I must have been considering it as a 

 street tree in towns or to be planted close about dwellings. I think 

 the Cottonwood is worth more to Minnesota farmers than all the 

 Russian poplars that have been, or ever will be, imported. I have 

 just found by measurement that a Cottonwood tree, planted in 1869, 

 is nine feet in circumference two feet from the ground, and it looks 

 as if it might have been good for one hundred years to come if it 

 had not been struck by lightning. A few days ago, a farmer told me 

 he had been getting most of his firewood for two winters from a 

 few Cottonwood trees he had planted for protection twenty years 

 ago. He saws stove length, then slabs off and splits up without 

 much trouble when the timber is frozen. Of the many trees grow- 

 ing on the station, I have only mentioned a few of those that seeiued 

 most important. 



THE ORCHARD 



now contains 800 fruit trees and 200 evergreen trees, used for protec- 

 tion. The land slopes slightlj' to the north, air drainage being fair, 

 and land drainage will be supplied where needed. The orchard is 

 planted in square form, rows running north and south, being fifteen 

 feet apart, and trees are placed ten feet apart in the row, giving a 

 chance to test a great many trees without covering much land. A 

 row of evergreen, Scotch pine and spruce, trees stands on the west 

 side, and the tenth row east is Scotch pine. Every eleventh tree in 

 each row is an evergreen, so that evergreen rows extend across the 



