74 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



seed for the grasses. Trees which shed their foliage at the approach 

 of winter must necessarily form a large portion of the lawn trees in 

 the North Temperate zone. The deciduous trees present a great 

 range of size and form, as well as a great variety of colors and leaf 

 forms, features of the utmost importance in producing variety in 

 landscape effects. 



Some trees are very sensitive to the cold, and will not grow well 

 except in warm climates, while others do not bear extremes of heat 

 well, so the climate must the taken into consideration in selecting 

 trees for the lawn. Some trees require lots of sunlight; others flour- 

 ish best in shaded or secluded spots; some need a good deal of mois- 

 ture, while others love warm, dry places. The nature of the tree 

 must be understood to make the right selection, and a tree that by 

 nature loves shade should not be selected for spots where it will be 

 subjected to the glaring rays of the sun. Soil also has something 

 to do with the healthy growth, but not near so much as climate. The 

 tree lives on light, heat, air and moisture and these it must have in 

 abundance and properly proportioned if the tree is expected to thrive. 

 It craves food and is always hungry. 



Some trees are natural pirates they will steal food from one 

 another, and from a tree of another variety. A soft maple is to 

 other trees what the English sparrow is to other birds. Hence in 

 selecting trees all care should be taken to get trees of an average 

 aggressiveness, so that each can fight for itself in getting food. Some 

 trees produce a denser foliage than others. On lawns this is a great 

 desideratum, as the leaves take up from the atmosphere heat and 

 hold it. Thus they in a degree lower the temperature for some dis- 

 tance around them. The denser the foliage the more heat they 

 take from the atmosphere. 



Trees are nature's great sanitary agents. They collect and 

 absorb the malaria that is in the atmosphere, and, absorbing it, 

 neutralize it, thereby purifying the air. Some trees are greater 

 consumers of malaria than others, and this should guide in the selec- 

 tion of lawn trees. The "winged elm" is a great absorbent of ma- 

 laria. It is so bitter that no insect will molest it. It grows well 

 and is a very bold tree, well able to take care of itself. Willows are 

 also malaria eaters. 



In tree selection nature is an excellent guide. The tree that is 

 indigenous to the locality is likely to do best on the lawn. Oaks, 

 elms, and sugar maples are beautiful lawn trees, but other varieties 

 grow well and perform all the functions required of them. 



Great care should be exercised in transplanting the trees. The 

 young tree should be trimmed of all its branches, leaving nothing 

 but the trunk. The hole, or pit, should be large enough to permit 

 the filling in of a sufficient quantity of rich earth and manure ; the 

 whole should be well saturated with water; all the small fibers of 

 the roots should be carefully spread out, and finally the earth be well 

 tamped down around the tree so as to secure an upright growth. 

 Shade being the principal thing wanted in lawn trees they should be 

 closely pruned. This makes leaves. In planting care should be 



