HOW TO PLANT. 117 



consideration beforehand. Instead of planting 

 in parallel rows along the border of his farm, 

 it will be better to plant shelter-belts only 

 where they are plainly needed, and then to 

 plant them more or less in curved lines con- 

 formed somewhat to the natural curves, the 

 elevations and depressions of the fields them- 

 selves. Instead of a continuous belt of trees 

 along the farm-border, whether upon one side 

 or more, it will be much better to leave open- 

 ings here and there, through which to look out 

 upon the pleasant stretches of country around. 



By a little forethought in this respect, se- 

 lecting and combining various kinds of trees, 

 planting some upon the most elevated por- 

 tions of his wide-spread farm, and drawing 

 about his dwelling the bright birches and the 

 cheerful evergreens for shelter and compan- 

 ionship in the long winter, he may make his 

 prairie homestead most beautiful while doing 

 what will make it also most productive. 



People of the prairie region are quite 

 awake to the desirableness and even necessity 

 of extensive tree-planting, and in numerous 

 publications plans have been suggested for 



