no 



Canadian Forestry Journal, 



Farm, and each year since from 75,000 

 to 100,000 trees have been sent out free 

 to settlers. Last spring the distribution 

 to Alberta was discontinued on account 

 of that province having two Experi- 

 mental Farms from which trees may be 

 procured, as well as from the Forest 

 Nursery Station situated at Indian 

 Head. 



As maple and ash seed could be ob- 

 tained in large quantities in the early 

 years, and as these species were found 

 very suitable for windbreaks and planta- 

 tions, they were used almost entirely for 

 distribution, as well as for planting on 

 the Farm; and to-day they constitute 

 the great bulk of the trees sent out, 

 chiefly from the ease with which they 

 can be propagated and the small loss in 

 transplanting. 



The Native Maple is a very unsatis- 

 factory tree in some respects; its pro- 

 pensity to send out suckers from all 

 parts of the trunk is a constant cause 

 of trouble when grown singly; when 

 used for hedge purposes, however, the 

 suckering is an advantage. 



The Ash may be considered one of the 

 best trees yet obtained for the prairies, 

 its only fault being its lateness in leaf- 

 ing out in the spring, and earliness in 

 losing the leaves in the fall. 



Native or American Elm for street or 

 avenue purposes is the most satis- 

 factory yet secured, its only fault 

 being the liability to have branches 

 broken in heavy wind-storms. 



Dakota Cottonwood has so far proved 

 a good avenvie or shade tree on the 

 Experimental Farm. This species is 

 easily propagated from cuttings and in 

 growth surpasses all others except the 

 Russian Poplar. 



Russian Poplar, which at one time 

 gave promise of being a valuable species 

 for this country, has for some years 

 been injured by a fungus disease which 

 makes the trunk unsightly and eventu- 

 ally kills the tree. 



The Native Birch, which grows in 

 many sections of the prairie, is well 

 worthy of extensive growth, both for 

 ornamental and commercial purposes. 

 This is propagated from seed which is 

 usually abundant each year. The Cut- 

 Leaf Birch is quite hardy and is the 

 most beautiful tree to be" found in all 

 Canada. 



Mountain Ash, which in the early 

 years was extremely tender, is now quite 



hardy and at all seasons one of the most 

 beautiful trees that can be grown. In 

 the summer with its white flowers, or in 

 the fall with the large clusters of red 

 berries, it is especially attractive. 



In the Evergreen family, the Scotch, 

 Jack and Stone Pines, Rocky Mountain, 

 Norway and White Spruces, and Balsam 

 Fir are quite hardy. Tamarack or 

 Larch, both Native and European, is 

 hardy, also nearly all the Arbor Vitae 

 (Cedar) family, but the latter are very 

 slow growers. 



In the twenty years of tree-growing 

 on the Experimental Farm, cultivation 

 has been the main reliance towards suc- 

 cess. With a few exceptions water has 

 never been used, even in the driest 

 seasons. In all cases the land was pre- 

 pared the year before planting — either 

 by breaking and backsetting, if new, or 

 by summer-fallow, if old. In no case 

 has failure occurred with either of these 

 preparations when the trees were in 

 proper condition at time of planting. 



The last week in April or the first 

 two weeks in May have been found the 

 best time to plant deciduous trees. Plant- 

 ing late in May has given better results 

 with evergreen varieties, on account of 

 the strong and warm winds prior to that 

 time injuring the leaves or needles. 



In propagating trees from seed. 

 Maple, Ash, Elm and Birch are the only 

 varieties attempted on a large scale. 

 Elm ripens its seed early in June, and 

 should be gathered at once and sown 

 shallow as soon as dry. The other 

 varieties come in about the time of 

 wheat harvest, or early in September. 

 Ash and Birch should be sown late in 

 the fall or early in the spring, with no 

 danger of being winter-killed. Maple 

 can be sown in the fall with considerable 

 risk of being killed, or can be sown early 

 in May with safety. When fall sowing 

 succeeds, as it has done for some years 

 back, the growth of the young plants 

 over the spring sown is very marked. 

 A wise plan is to sow both in fall and 

 spring." 



Mr. Angus Mitchell, Assistant in the 

 Tree Planting Division of the Forestry 

 Branch, then read his ])aper on 

 "Problems in Tree Growing in Southern 

 Alberta and Western Sa.skatchewan," 

 which is published in full elsewhere in 

 this issue. 



Mr. Mitchell's paper was followed by 

 a brisk discussion, which was led by Mr. 



