WINDBREAKS, SHELTERS, ETC. 85 



by thrusting long sticks of willows into the soil, about 

 eight feet apart. These develop into trees with 

 great rapidity. It is very desirable in some sections 

 to multiply our nut trees by allowing them to grow 

 along the fences. The butternut in this section 

 makes a very good protection against the wind, but 

 the trees should not stand nearer than twenty feet. 



Among smaller trees, I recommend as exceed- 

 ingly fine for both protection and ornament the cork- 

 barked maple. When I first procured this tree it 

 was mentioned to me as not quite hardy, but I have 

 found it entirely so and very enduring. The tree 

 rises to a hight of twelve feet, is almost exactly 

 round, and the foliage is as novel as the bark. It 

 has almost the exact form of some of our round- 

 topped evergreens. The beeches, which I have 

 already spoken of as suitable for hedges, make also 

 the very best of low windbreaks. In growth they 

 are very solid, and the tendency is to retain leaves 

 late in the winter. I do not know of anything more 

 superb than the thorns in blossom. None of them 

 take a very large amount of root room, and a wall 

 of double scarlet thorn would, I imagine, lead a pil- 

 grimage of the whole population to gaze on it. A 

 single tree is a marvel of beauty. If used for the 

 purpose I suggest, plant them about eight feet apart. 



For low-growing windbreaks I would recom- 

 mend very especially the Exochorda grandiflora, 

 growing about ten feet high. It is very tough in 

 wood and very rarely is affected at all by the severest 

 weather. I have in a few cases had a few twigs 

 killed back. The blossoms are saucer-shaped, large 

 and pure white, and in May are among the most 



