Trees and Shrubs for Saskatchewan' 



Angus MacKay, Superintendent, Experimental Farm, Indian Head 



IN the .early years of the Indian Head 

 Experimental Farm, very few trees 

 or shrubs except the native varieties 

 were found hardy enough to stand the 

 climate, while at the present time there 

 are a great many, with proper cultiva- 

 tion, will succeed in any part of the pro- 

 vince. In addition to the quite hardy 

 sorts, there are many nearly hardy ones 

 that kill back very little, and will in time 

 be numbered among the successful varie- 

 ties. 



For eight or ten years the American 

 mountain ash killed back to the ground. 

 Now, every year they blossom and fruit, 

 and the trees are among the most beau- 

 tiful on the Farm. 



A list of the hardy trees and shrubs 

 suitable for the province may be found at 

 the conclusion of this paper. This does 



A Winter Scene in Saskatchewan 



not include the half-hardy, which num- 

 ber nearly as many. [Note. — This list 

 will be published in a later issue of The 

 Canadian Horticulturist. — Editor.'] 



TREES 



Among the trees that are being most 

 extensively grown throughout the pro- 

 vince are, box elder (native maple), ash, 

 elm and cottonwood. Box elder is grown 

 chiefly on account of its being easily 

 propagated, and not from any good 

 quality in appearance or usefulness ex- 

 cept for windbreaks. Ash is also easily 

 propagated from seed, but has the ad' 

 vantage over the maple in giving little 

 trouble after planting, and in making a 

 useful tree in time. 



Elm is more difficult to grow than 

 maple or ash, from the fact of the seed 

 being smaller and more subject to in- 

 jury from various causes. It is one of 



•Part of a paper read at the convention of 

 the Western Horticultural Society, held at Win- 

 nipeg, in February. 



the best trees, however, and the one that 

 will in time win the most favor. 



Cottonwood, which is chiefly obtained 

 from river bottoms in the Dakotas, but 

 which can be propagated from seed or 

 cuttings, is found better adapted to the 

 dry climate than many of the other varie- 

 ties of poplar, and as a quick grower is 

 unsurpassed. 



The Siberian poplar is one of the best 

 of the Russian varieties. Like the cot- 

 tonwood, it is a quick grower. 



Willows are not sought after except 

 for hedges or windbreaks, for which 

 they are well adapted. 



So far little has been done in growing 

 the birch tree. The native variety is 

 easily grown and is a beautiful tree when 

 a few years old. Among all the trees 

 on the Farm, none can compare in beau- 

 ty with the cut-leaved 

 birch which has stood 

 for years in the arbore- 

 tum. 



The mountain ash is 

 grown from seed, of 

 which it produces large 

 quantities, and as al- 

 ready stated, is one of 

 the most beautiful on 

 the Farm ; in fact, in 

 this respect, it is only 

 surpassed by the cut- 

 leaved birch. 



In the conifers, all 

 those mentioned have 

 done exceedingly well, 

 but are not being 

 grown throughout the 

 province on account of 

 the difficulty of propa- 

 gation and the slow 

 growth for several years, as well as the 

 great loss in transplanting. 



Among the most successful are balsam 

 fir, Scotch pine, white, Norway and 

 Rocky Mountain spruce, and the larch or 

 tamarac. The cedars are exceedingly 

 slow growers. 



SHRUBS 



Among the hardy shrubs, caragana, 

 honeysuckle and lilac are having the 

 largest distribution. In the three famil- 

 ies, a good many varieties are found, 

 especially in the lilacs. 



Caragana drborescens is the most use- 

 ful sort in the caragana list on account 

 of being better suited for hedge pur- 

 poses, and flowering equally with the 

 others when planted singly. 



The Tartarian honeysuckle when in 

 bloom is one of the most beautiful 

 shrubs imaginable and, as it fruits 

 abundantly and is quickly and easily 

 grown from seed, it should be on every 

 homestead in the province. 



51 



While caragana and honeysuckle 

 should be in every garden, the place is 

 not complete without the lilacs, of which 

 there are varieties almost without num- 

 ber. In addition to being a beautiful 

 shrub, the lilac makes a hedge unsur- 

 passed by any other plant for the length 

 of time it is in leaf during the year, it ] 

 being out the ear4iest in the spring and 

 the last in the fall to lose its leaves. 

 Cornus or dogwood, cotoneaster, flower- 

 ing currant, spiraea, and high-bush cran 

 berry (native) are well worthy a place 

 alongside the caragana, honeysuckle and 

 lilac. 



Sowing Seeds of Annuals 



Roderick Cameron, Toronto 



If it is desired to sow seeds of annual 

 flowers in a hot-bed to get the plants 

 early, prepare the manure at once ; it 

 should be turned over twice before mak- 

 ing the bed. Do not make the bed 

 high. A foot of manure is plenty, and 

 it should.be ready by the first of April, 

 then place in it from four to six inches, 

 of good friable soil. Put on the sash, 

 but give plenty of air until April tentiV,'' 

 when the weed seeds will be all started. 

 Stir the soil now so as to kill the weeds. 



Open shallow drills six inches apart, 

 north and south across the bed, by press- 

 ing a lath on the soil. Here sow the 

 seeds desired and cover in proportion to 

 the size of the seeds. The very fine ones 

 may be sown on the surface, and after- 

 wards pressed down with the flat side 

 of a board. 



There may be strips of brown papci 

 stretched over the rows inside the franu 

 until the seeds show above ground, whei' 

 they must be taken away for the lignt 

 to reach the plants. If the sun is bright 

 at this stage, shade the glass during thf 

 hottest part of the day and give air night 

 and day unless very cold. The plants 

 may be thinned out and replanted some 

 other place when large enough to handle 



By the first of June these plants should 

 be ready for the open ground. At this 

 time, place your fingers on each side of 

 the row, press them down through th^ 

 soil, lift one, two or three plants, and as 

 much soil as will stick to the roots, and 

 press hard in the hands into hard balls 

 about the roots ; this operation is simple 

 if the soil contains the proper amount of 

 moisture. When each variety is thus 

 finished, place all these balls, containing 

 the roots back into the soil, and shade 

 p little. In a few days the balls will be 

 matted together with roots, and they can 

 be handled the same as if they were 

 grown in pots, and will make better 

 plants, and there will be no wilting. 



