7 6 



Yearbook, of Agriculture 1949 



Austrian pine makes a fine specimen 

 tree anywhere in the region. It de- 

 velops a cone-shaped crown of deep- 

 green foliage, which is little affected 

 by hot, dry winds. Some irrigation is 

 necessary on the plateau. 



Canary pine, useful as a specimen 

 tree, has light-green foliage of medium 

 density. It will not stand long periods 

 of cold weather, and therefore it can 

 be planted with success only in the 

 Gila River Basin ; even there it should 

 receive irrigation. 



Colorado pinyon pine, also native to 

 much of the plateau, does well under 

 cultivation. It grows slowly into a low, 

 scrubby tree too small for shade but 

 good for group plantings in full sun- 

 light. It will respond to some irriga- 

 tion, but constant heavy watering is 

 detrimental. 



Ponderosa pine is a native tree with 

 much the same appearance as Austrian 

 pine, but usually it is slower in growth. 

 Growth is extremely slow the first 10 

 years or so. Later it can grow a foot or 

 more annually even in severe locations 

 provided it receives some irrigation. 



Scotch pine resembles Austrian and 

 ponderosa pines in ruggedness but is 

 less regular in shape. 



Colorado spruce, often called Colo- 

 rado blue spruce, is similar to Engel- 

 mann spruce except that the foliage is 

 always gray green or bluish green. At 



elevations below 8,000 feet it tends to 

 become scraggly with age and for that 

 reason is less suitable than Engelmann 

 spruce on the plateau. With watering 

 it makes a beautiful, ornamental tree. 

 Engelmann spruce, with its tall, 

 cone-shaped crown of green to gray- 

 green foliage, is well suited to lawn 

 planting and for use as an outdoor 

 Christmas tree. It will thrive in both 

 mountain and plateau areas if pro- 

 vided with fairly rich soil and given 

 some protection from high winds. 



FOR THE NORTHERN Rocky Moun- 

 tain region, resistance to cold is a para- 

 mount consideration in the selection 

 of shade trees. Suitable species are 

 Norway maple, cutleaf birch, bass- 

 wood, white poplar (alba), green ash, 

 hackberry, American elms, Austrian 

 pine, Scotch pine, Black Hills spruce, 

 Colorado blue spruce, and Norway 

 spruce. Russian-olive and the Siberian 

 pea-tree may also be used where a 

 smaller type of tree is desired. 



LAKE S. GILL is a forest pathologist 

 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, 

 and Agricultural Engineering. He is 

 stationed in Albuquerque, N. Mex. He 

 has investigated many aspects of forest- 

 and shade-tree problems in the South- 

 west. Dr. Gill is a graduate of Yale 

 School of Forestry. 



What do we plant when we plant the 



tree? 

 We plant the ship, which will cross 



the sea. 



We plant the mast to carry the sails; 

 We plant the planks to withstand the 



gales 

 The keel, the keelson, the beam, the 



knee; 

 We plant the ship when we plant the 



tree. 



What do we plant when we plant the 



tree? 



We plant the houses for you and me. 

 We plant the rafters, the shingles, the 



floors, 



We plant the studding, the lath, the 



doors, 



The beams, the siding, all parts that be; 

 We plant the house when we plant 



the tree. 



What do we plant when we plant the 



tree? 



A thousand things that we daily see; 

 We plant the spire that out-towers the 



crag, 

 We plant the staff for our country's 



flag. 

 We plant the shade, from the hot sun 



free; 

 We plant all these when we plant the 



tree. 



HENRY ABBEY 



