22 Evergreens for the Western Praities. 



EVERGREENS FOR THE WESTERN PRAIRIES. 



(Concluded.) 



In a former number, I spoke of the utility, beaut}', and necessit)' of 

 planting timber on prairie-farms, along the roads, and streets of towns. 

 These evergreens are going to be so valuable in this country, that a slight 

 glimpse at the mode of raising them from the seed may be interesting. 

 I have not much experience in raising them from seed, but have planted a 

 good many two years old and up to eight feet high. I have visited the 

 nurseries where they are raised from the seed. 



Our climate is too hot and diy to raise evergreen seedlings in the open 

 air and scorching sun : therefore it is necessary to shade some to break at 

 least half the rays of the sun. At Mr. Douglass's nursery, at Waukegan, 

 111., there are three modes of shading. First by lath, consisting of light 

 strips of pine four feet long, such as are in universal use for building. 

 Ihese are nailed to two short strips of inch board, or two laths turned 

 crosswise : so the section of lath is four feet square, light, and easily re- 

 moved for vveeding. The bed is slightly rounded up so that the w^ater will 

 run off, and boards or poles elevated si.x: or eight inches along the side of 

 the beds to place the laths upon. The space between the laths is open 

 sufficiently to exclude only half or two-thirds the rays of the sun. 



Second, shade by setting up tall posts, and nailing strips of board seven 

 feet high, across which poles are placed, then covered with brush, so high 

 that they can work underneath. 



Third, shade by sticking up brush by the sides of the beds, so as to 

 shade. If access could be had to the evergreen-woods, it would be the 

 best brush-shade. The laths can be used several years. Shade is indis- 

 pensable ; for the sun will scorch the young and tender plants, and kill 

 them nearly all. Again : they are in danger of " damping off;" that is, in 

 a wet, warm time, they rot. Remedy : sprinkle dry sand among them. 



The soil should be light, dry, and tolerably rich, with a mixture of com- 

 post of leaf mould and manure. The beds are made four feet wide, rounded 

 up slightly to turn off the water, with a passage eighteen inches between. 

 The seeds are sown broadcast by hand, and raked in. In this way a great 



