THK CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



243 



One of the most rapid growing trees 

 of the hard wood varieties is the ash 

 leaved maple, or box elder (Negundo ace- 

 roides), sometimes called the Manitoba 

 maple. I obtained seed of these in the au- 

 tumnofl88i, and planted them so soon 

 as gathered in October. The trees on 

 which the seeds are growing sho\ild be 

 carefully watched from day to day to 

 ascertain when they are plump and 

 begin to fall, at which time they should 

 be at once collected and planted one 

 and a half or two inches deep. In the 

 spring of 1882 these seeds came up as 

 thick as peas in a row, and so soon as 

 they had the seed leaves and one other 

 expanded, they were taken up and set 

 in a row six inches apart. The growth 

 does not appear to have been checked 

 by this operation, as they are now some 

 of them eight feet high at the end of 

 the second year's growth, and are one 

 and a half inches through. This variety 

 is at present being set out as the future 

 shade tree of Manitoba. In Winnipeg, 

 Portage la Prairie and Brandon, streets 

 are being lined with them, and in spite 

 of the past dry season they are doing 

 remarkably well. Very few are dead 

 which were planted this spring, show- 

 ing that they bear transplanting very 

 well. These trees grow very profusely 

 along all the streams of Manitoba and 

 the North-west, and may be seen there 

 entwined with wild hops and grape 

 vines. The wood of this tree is valuable 

 for fuel, and sugar is made from its sap. 

 A few acres would be a great acquisi- 

 tion to any farmer, either in Canada or 

 the North-west, for fuel, shelter or 

 sugar. 



Black walnut {juglans nigra) two 

 years old from the seed are two and 

 one-half feet high, and appear to be 

 quite hardy here, though, of course, 

 this cannot yet be determined with cer- 

 tainty, as they were well covered by 

 snow last winter. 



The elm (idmiLS Americoma) grows 



nearly twice as fast as the sugar or the- 

 soft maple, it is not so subject to borers, 

 and is a more graceful street tree. In 

 the American towns the elm has the 

 preference over all others, and in my 

 opinion justly so, as it has many esti- 

 mable qualities. 



The white native birch {hetula papij" 

 rcbced) also makes a very pretty street 

 tree, but for some reason is seldom 

 planted; growing side by side with 

 the elm on my place there is very little 

 difference in size or height betweeu the 

 two. The birch has a thicker, closer 

 head than the elm, and its leaves re- 

 main green longer in the autumn than> 

 the latter tree. 



So far all attempts to grow the sweet 

 chestnut (castanea Americanct) here 

 have failed. The foliage and flowers 

 are both very ornamental, and the tree 

 is well known for its fi uit. It should 

 be grown by all lovei-s of trees further 

 west. 



From the small experience I have 

 had in growing trees, I find there would 

 be no trick in clothing this country, if 

 required, with a dense forest during the 

 life time of any one who had reached 

 his twenty-tifth year, provided he at- 

 tained the age of three score years and 

 ten. If a proper selection of trees wei*e 

 made, and the ground put in good con- 

 dition for planting, 1 believe that in five 

 years from the sowing good saplings 

 could be had for sale to parties who 

 did not wish to take the trouble, or had 

 not time to grow them from seed ; ten 

 years would give timber suitable for 

 fence posts; fifteen yeai-s for fuel or 

 railway ties, sugar making, and a variety 

 of other uses ; and a sufficient supply of 

 nuts and seeds could be grown to enable 

 the cultivator to enter into a tree seed 

 business, for which there will be a large 

 and increasing demand before many 

 years are over. It would be well for 

 the Ontario Government to start a tree 



