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FORESTRY. 317 
Ineed not mention the injudiciousness thereof from a pecuniary 
standpoint. How a lover of nature must feel at such unnatural 
arrangement! Nature should be imitated here, also. 
The next question that arises is, how shall I proceed to plant the 
different varieties of trees? In this connection I will say, in a way 
thatis by no means a new way, but on the contrary, and that, I 
believe, has great significance where the winters are long and cold, 
and where we suffer from drought—plant the seed and when super- 
fluous trees spring up, thin them out lateron. When we undertake 
to move trees, the tender and otherwise delicate roots are more or 
less injured, and by transplanting the natural line of the roots is 
disturbed, resulting in injury to the future growth, thriftiness and 
hardiness of the trees. 
When the germ sprouts, the roots form first and grow outward 
several feet, as the tree requiresit. What importance or significance 
this has in severe drought is easily understood and explained and 
is of equal, if not more, importance when coming in contact with 
severe cold. While the roots of the transplanted trees are solidly 
frozen, the roots of those grown from seed extend to dry earth. 
Would it not be considered immodest, I would desire to ask, if any 
one has tried the experiment of planting the seed from the hardy 
varieties of apple trees in places where trees would grow, thrive 
and be expected to bear fruit, and also the grafting process, to ascer- 
tain whatinfluence the same would have on the thriftiness and hard- 
iness of the trees, etc. I have been unabie to find any report on this 
experiment. 
My different varieties of evergreen and deciduous trees have in 
but few instances failed of the desired results. 
In my former report I made mention of the European birch asa 
tree of great promise. Ithas greatly exceeded my expectations, and 
our soil seems to be adapted to it, as it grows rapidly and seems to 
bevery hardy. I arrange these trees in rows between the evergreens 
asa pleasant and agreeable contrast to the verdant attire of the 
evergreens. 
Norway spruce and Scotch pine grow rapidly, but our old trusted 
and tried natives, such as white pine and spruce may prove to be 
the safest in the end; white pine seems to do remarkably well here. 
To our horticultural friends, I will say that I raised a considerable 
quantity of small fruit last summer. Could you have seen what 
Victoria and Prince Albert was capable of producing in the family 
of currants, and, especially, Hansell and Cuthbert in the raspberry 
family, you certainly would have admitted that wheat alone is not 
the only product that can be raised here. Mrs. Solem very much 
doubts that any one living west of Minneapolis can exhibit a fruit 
pantry so rich and rare as the one that she ownsand controls. It is 
notin the summer only that fruit is delicious and relished. 
Now, a word to our bee friends. I hada hive that swarmed, and, 
consequently, two was formed of one. Of the first one I took out 
ninety-six pounds of honey, and from the second forty pounds 
From this it will be readily seen that the Red river valley may be 
in time equally as celebrated and renowned on account of its pro- 
duction of fruit and honty as it formerly has been for its produc- 
tion of wheat. 
