558 FOEEST CULTURE IN IOWA. 



■winter, -will well repay the cost of purchase and after care, saying nothing of their 

 perfect effectiveness in arresting wind and storm. The deciduous trees, such as we 

 specify as valuable for farm uses, are good enough for shelter-belts, and the annual thin- 

 ings are far more valuable for varied uses. Our main idea, under the heading of 

 Bhelter-belts, is to recommend strongly the planting of all forest trees as shelter belts, 

 rather than in the form of isolated squares, as is too common. Plant any of the kinds 

 named in the succeeding list, but plant in the order suggested, as many trees do fa- 

 mously well planted east or south of a heavy belt of hardier trees, which would utterly 

 fail in open exposure to wind-sweeps. 



PLANTATIONS FOR FUEL, FARM USES, AND MANUFACTURING PURPOSES. 



To economize space, we place the varieties of trees best suited for these varied par- 

 poses under one heading, making comments as to relative value for specific purposes 

 and management of each timber tree separately. 



Green Ash {Fraxinus viridis). — For fuel, and for all the manifold uses for which 

 light, firm, elastic, and durable timber is wanted, as well as handsome, light-colored 

 finishing lumber, the white and green ash are our most valuable trees, and their 

 greatest value is attained when grown on deep, rich soil. The white ash (F. Ameri- 

 cana), in our dry atmosphere, and sometimes very dry soil, makes comparatively slow 

 growth, while green ash, on soils favorable for our best corn crops, will in ten years 

 be as large as the ash-leaved maple {Ncgundo aceroides) of same age. For all uses its 

 timber is very similar to white ash, with which it is confounded by most of our citi- 

 zens. It grows in many parts of Iowa, while the white ash is not common. The seeds 

 ripen in October, and soon fall after frost. A good way to keep them is to place them 

 on the surface of a garden walk, putting a box over them, and cutting a trench around 

 the box to keep water from running under them. They will not grow if kept too dry. 

 With most people it will be best to purchase the plants of nurserymen, or to culti- 

 vate the first year in a seed-bed. Usually about one-fifth of the seed grows. Trans- 

 plant where they are to grow at one year old. It is, however, better for the trees to 

 plant the seed where the trees are to grow, say six or eight seeds in a hill. They will 

 then retain their tap-root and grow with more vigor, but will require more hoeing., 



Hotv to plant. — After deej) plowing and thorough harrowing, mark the ground as for 

 com. If seeds are planted, cover shallow, not more than an inch. If transplanting, 

 press a clean, bright spade about two-thirds its length perpendicularly at each inter- 

 section of the marks, then draw the handle back, so as to move the bottom of the 

 spade three or four inches forward, then press in the spade the balance of its length, 

 and push the handle forward, which will leave an ample hole to recei- e the roots; 

 after the spade is withdrawn, tramp the ground firmly on the roots, and leave the j)lant 

 standing perpendicular. 



Honey-Locust (Gleditschia triacanthos).— It is thought by many to be best to select 

 the seed for timber-growing purposes from thornless trees, yet it often happens that 

 nearly all the plants from seeds gathered from very thorny trees will prove thornless 

 if kept thriftily growing. On account of rapidity of growth and value of timber for 

 fuel, posts, furniture, &c., we regard this native tree as being very valuable. In some 

 of the interior counties remote from the river bottoms, where this tree is found native, 

 the idea seems common that this tree, like the common black locust, is subject to at- 

 tacks of the borer, and is also liable to sprout, &c. For the benefit of this quit^ 

 numerous class it may be well to state that honoy locust — or more properly three- 

 tborned acacia — is nearly allied to the Kentucky coffee tree botanically, and that the 

 borer has not been known to attack it ; nor does it sprout to greater extent than the 

 maple and most other forest trees. 



The seed ripens in autumn, aud may be gathered any time during the fall or winter. 

 But the sooner pods are gathered after falling to the ground the better. In Cedar 

 County, on Cedar River, aud at many points on the Iowa, Des Moines, Missouri, and 

 indeed most of the rivers of the State, pods may be gathered in quantity grown on 

 thornless trees. 



Before planting, scald the seeds severely. Part of them will swell. Sift these out 

 with a coarse fanning-mill sieve. Scald the remainder again ; repeatedly scalding and 

 sifting, until all are swelled. The ground should be ready and the seeds at once 

 planted. They will come up in two or three days, if the weather be favorable, and 

 their upright growth is so rapid that less care is needed in picking out weeds from 

 among the plants than with any other forest-tree seedlings. Keep the weeds down 

 carefully with good culture during the summer. Take up the plants in the fall and 

 heel in carefully where water will not stand. If left standing in seed-bed, the plants 

 are often injured during the winter. After the first year the plants are perfectly hardy, 

 if seed from our native trees be used. We may here note that the seed sold in the 

 Eastern markets is mostly imported. The plants produced from the foreign honey- 

 locust seed prove as tender in our climate as the peach tree. No valuable tree in our 

 list bears transplanting with as little check to growth as the honey-locust. Put out 

 the plants with a spade, as recommended for the ash. 



