EMBELLISHMENT WITH TREES AND SHRUBS. 213 



Larix Europcea: Scotch or European Larch. — An excel- 

 lent tree for poor lands, and can be obtained from Douglas, of 

 Waukegan, Illinois, at a few dollars per thousand. Plants two 

 years old, transplanted, are the best for forest culture. 



Abies Canadensis : Hemlock. — Valuable on hill-sides having 

 an eastern or northern exposure, and near water. 



Abies balsamea : Balsam Fir. — Though of rapid growth on or- 

 dinary soils and a fine ornamental plant, it is not long-lived ; it lives 

 but from thirty to forty years, and is not much used as a timber tree. 



Finns sylvesMs: Scotch Pine. — The same may be said of 

 this as of the preceding. Although of rapid growth, tweuty-five 

 to thirty years is about all it will last on our thin soils and in our 

 dry climate, though it is excellent as a nurse or shelter tree. 



Picea alba: the common White Spruce. — Nothing is better than 

 this for wind-breaks, siielter, or ornament. It is much hardier 

 than the Norway Spruce, and should be planted in preference to 

 that tree, though the Norway makes a fine tree in a sheltered, 

 moist situation. 



Of Elms, the American, or English, or Dutch will grow in any 

 situation and make good-sized trees. To have them in perfection 

 they need a good generous soil with considerable moisture. 



All the Willows and Poplars can be propagated with the great- 

 est ease bj' cuttings six inches or more in length ; any boy can 

 grow them. Planted six or eight inches apart in nursery rows in 

 early spring, they will at the end of the first season be fit for plant- 

 ing in the field. 



All the Oaks, Hickories, Chestnuts, and Walnuts can be started 

 from seed in shallow boxes, and transplanted at the end of the 

 first year in nursery rows or where they are to remain. 



The Birches should be sown on well prepared beds, patted down 

 with the back of the spade or pressed with a light roller, and cov- 

 ered with a light mulching of hay until the plants appear, when 

 the covering should be gradually removed. These seeds can 

 scarcely be covered with loam if success is desired. Such seeds 

 as those of the Leguminosse should be well soaked for twenty-four 

 hours or more before sowing. 



Full directions for seed-sowing may be found in Mr. Dawson's 

 paper, which has been before referred to. 



At the conclusion of Mr. Appleton's essay, the following paper 

 was read by the author. \ 



