578 FOEEST CULTURE IN KANSAS. 



Morris County. — Ornamental trees aiul shrubs also failed (1874), or at least were 

 killed to the ground. The buds showed weakness in their development and the wood 

 growth was small during the season as compared with other years. This weakness 

 was only among plants and trets which were defoliated the previous autumn by the 

 locusts. Such trees as escaped their attacks developed their buds, and the growth of 

 the stason was equally strong and healthy as in other years. Generally the fruit trees 

 did not bloom, the buds being destroyed by the "hoppers" in previous fall. * * * 

 The red cedar passed safely through the tost of the past year, and is deserving of a 

 general recommend. It bears any amount of trimming, and can bo made very orna- 

 mental for hedges, belts, groups, or singly. Balsam-fir is quite hardy and a fine grower. 

 The spruces, arbor vitte, and the numerous varieties of pines must be protected from 

 the locusts, or they will be destroyed. — {L. M. Hill, Hill Springs, Kans ; State Hort. 

 Eeport, 1875, p. 163.) 



Neosho County. — Of evergreens I have 350, viz, Austrian, Scotch and white pines, 

 red cedar, Norway spruce, Irish juniper, balsam-fir, and Aiuericau arbor vitiB, ranging 

 in size froai 4 to 7 feet. In the growing of evergreens I have been very successful, 

 until the last-ravages of the grasshoppers. They can be grown with sufficient care in 

 handling. Out of 168 set in lb75 but four died. The moment the little fibers become 

 dry, that moment the evergreen is dead to all intents and purposes. The same is true 

 whenever an evergreen, after being transplanted, is blown about by these Kansas 

 winds until the dirt is pressed away from around the body, allowing the air to get in 

 between the roots of the tree and the dirt. I believe as many trees are killed in this 

 way as any other. I have plenty of sawdust around each tree, so that in case the tree 

 should move about, the sawdust will work into any crevice that may be made. « » * 

 The American arbor vitaj I have failed to keep alive longer than three years from the 

 time of setting out. The Irish juniper does not live any longer. The Norway spruce 

 does well if it it was not for the grasshoppers; they seem to prefer this to all other 

 kinds, having killed quite a number for me. The balsam-fir does well, but it is a great 

 favorite with the grasshoppers. My white pines are looking splendidly, as also my red 

 cedars. Many of the white pines about me have been badly injured by grasshoppers. 

 The savin flourishes finely, but the evergreen that does best with me, and, I may add, 

 the only one that grasshoppers never molest, is the Austrian pine. It is usually con- 

 sidered one of the hardest varieties to make grow, yet I have never lost one, so that I 

 have about concluded that had I an order to make for 10(J evergreens, I should write 

 thus : " Seventy-five Austrian pine, and the remaining twenty-five Austrian pine 

 also." — {H. H. JacfcsoK, 'New Chicago, Neosho County, Kansas; State Hort. Report, 

 1875, p. 51.) 



Sedgwick County. — Protections are very important to the horticulturist. Rapid- 

 growing forest trees around the farm, the orchard, stock-yards, and buildings, not only 

 afford protection and shade, but are also ornamental and attractive. Cottonwoods 

 jirove the most successful of any I have tried for such purposes. They grow rapid and 

 stocky, and resist the force of wind equal to the sturdy old oak. The peach is one of 

 the best trees for wind-breaks and fuel. They are rapid growers, and, after three 

 years old, may be thinned out from year to year, thus furnishing fuel of the best 

 quality. It will also give yearly crops of fruit, not uncommonly of good character, 

 A good way to plant is to iirepare the ground in the fall, as for corn, open furrows, 10 

 feet apart, and drox) the seed three or four inches apart in them, and cover them with 

 a furrow turned on them from each side. In the spring, pass the harrow over the rows. 

 ThiB will kill all weeds starting and give the young plants a good opportunity to get 

 a start. — {A. J. Cook, Wichita, Kans. ; State Hort. Report, 1874, -p. 230.) 



Shawnee County. — For deciduous ornamental trees, the catalpa and ailautns per- 

 haps are most desirable. But when the eims, box-elders, white ash, soft and sugar 

 maples have been planted for eight or ten years they have proven a success and 

 giv«n satisfaction. Some, however, object to the soft maple on account of liability to 

 defoliation by the maple-worm. I measured the following-named varieties, planted 

 when two years old and are now eight years old from planting, and found, at the collar, 

 soft jnaiile, 15 inches in diameter ; sugar-maple, 6 inches ; white ash, 9 inches ; wild 

 cherry, 11 inches; box-elder, 8 inches; catalpa, 7 inches, and ailantus, 9 inches, 

 Etergretns. — I find nothing very flattering in any of them. Most of the largest ones 

 were ruined by the grasshoppers the past summer. A few Austrian pines, red cedars, 

 and irish junipers escaped. These make a very moderate growth. All the rest have 

 proved poor cumberers of the ground. Forest trees. — I find some cottonwood trees 

 making 15 inches diameter in eight years. I believe, for most forest culture, that the 

 cottonwood, walnut, white and red elm, soft and sugar maples, locust, Osage orange, 

 hackbeiTy, coffee-bean, wild cherry, and box-elder are well adapted to this climate. 

 Some of them will not bear transplanting. The seeds must be planted where they are 

 to stand.— (^, A. Bijpley, Topeka, Kana. ; State Horticultural Report, 1874, p, 230,) 



