THE NOETH DAKOTA FARMSTEAD 15 



moisture. The lumber is used for fuel, posts and cheap interior 

 finishing in places where it can be kept dry and well painted. Trees 

 planted and cared for in this way should average 300 board feet per 

 tree in 20 years or around 50,000 board feet per acre. They do not 

 do well mixed with other species and are not satisfactory for shelter. 



BALM OF GILEAD (P. balsamifera) a native tree is serviceable as a 

 quick growing shade tree but it is often objected to because of the 

 tendency of the leaves to rust. 



QUAKING ASP (P. tremuloides) , is a very ornamental tree, con- 

 veying a gay expression by the continually trembling leaves. 



WHITE OR SILVER POPLAR (Populus alba) is a small and some- 

 what spreading tree. It has very shiny dark green leaves with a 

 fuzzy white lining. This is a very ornamental tree for planting on the 

 lawn in the shrubbery clusters but it should be used sparingly. A 

 serious objection to it is the large number of suckers it produces. 

 All of these Populus species are hardy throughout the state but all 

 need moist soils. 



WILD YELLOW OR RED PLUM (Prunus americana). This is a small 

 tree native to a wide area of North Dakota. The fruit is small but 

 edible. It is excellent for shrubbery clusters on account of its profuse 

 blooming and fine shape. It can be used as a stock on which to graft 

 plums of better quality. It is also used sometimes as a hedge for 

 livestock. 



PIN CHERRY (Prunus pennsylv anica) . A small native tree, not 

 valuable for either fruit or wood, but it is decidedly ornamental and 

 a great bird attractor. 



WILD BLACK CHERRY (Prunus serotina). This is best adapted 

 to deep rich soils but succeeds well on high lands. The tree is not 

 always hardy when young so that some protection for a few years 

 would be wise. It is an excellent lumber, ornamental and shade 

 tree. Its fruits are edible and are especially relished by birds. The 

 wood is light, hard, strong, and takes on a magnificent polish for 

 which reason it is used for high grade furniture and the finest of 

 interior finishing. As a timber tree it is almost equal to Black Wal- 

 nut. It deserves further trial in all parts of the state. 



CRAB APPLES. A number of the crab apples are very desirable 

 for ornamental plantings because of their blossoms. Some of the 

 more popular species hardy in North Dakota are: the Siberian Crab 

 (Pyrus baccata) and probably Hall's Flowering Crab (P. Halliana), 

 The fruit of most of these can be utilized for cooking. 



OAKS. As oak trees are difficult to transplant it is best to grow 

 them by planting the acorns where the trees are to grow or by trans- 

 planting small seedlings. They generally prefer a rich damp soil, 

 but will grow in other soils, that are not too dry. They are all valu- 

 able for ornamental and timber purposes and some oaks should be 

 planted in every woodlot or shelter belt to add weight, dignity and 

 permanence. 



RED OAK (Quercus rubra), is less valuable than the White and 

 Burr oaks for timber but grows on a greater range of soil than any 

 other oak, is a fairly rapid grower, and does better under North 



