TREKS AND WINDBREAKS. 69 



tree life in this conntry, unless cultivation assists nature in 

 overcoming- the deficiency. 



Prairie fires have, no doubt, done great harm in the past, 

 but they are powerless ag-ainst cultivation. Hot and cold 

 winds are, however, very injurious to trees in spite of the best 

 cultivation, and while severe winters and backward spring's 

 doom many varieties of trees they are not fatal to all. 



The want of sufficient moisture may, to a very consider- 

 able extent, be overcome by proper cultivation, and althoug-h 

 the best cultivation tog-ether with all the rain Providence 

 sends the Northwest, cannot be sufficient for the proper 

 development of trees, the results will be very gratifying". 



The first step toward success in growing- trees is the 

 thoroug-h cultivation of the soil the year previous to planting", 

 for while hundreds of trees die from want of cultivation after 

 planting-, thousands die from want of it before. 



As is now g-enerally known, harrowing- the land stores 

 up a larg-e amount of moisture. This moisture is then avail- 

 able for plant life, so long- as the soil is kept in fallow condi- 

 tion ; that is so long" as its surface is stirred a few inches 

 deep several times during- the season, and weeds or other 

 surface growth not allowed to absorb the moisture. 



If the soil is in this state when trees are planted there is 

 little danger of loss from want of moisture, and if the trees 

 are in proper condition when planted no loss whatever need 

 occur. Their life afterwards depends on cultivation for a 

 few years. Deep cultivation before and shallow after are 

 essential to success ; want of either means certain failure. 



Several varieties of trees stand out prominently at pres- 

 ent by reason of their adaptability to the Northwest, viz : 

 Box-elder (Acer Negundo), Russian Poplar (Populus Bereo- 

 lensis), Russian Poplar (Populus Wobstii Rig*a) and Ameri- 

 can Cottonwood (Populus Monilifera). While these may 

 prove to be short-lived varieties, and in after years be thoug-ht 

 very little of, at present we have found nothing- better to 

 make a start. American Cottonwood is without doubt the 



