1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



67 



It may be thought that the securing of 

 such a belt is a difficult and costly matter. 

 Nothing could be farther from the fact. 

 Young trees of this most valuable of all 



THE NORWAY SPRUCE. 



Evergreens, the Norway Spruce, may be 

 bought at 18 inches high for about $13 a 

 hundred, and these should not be planted 

 nearer than three feet apart. At this rate 

 $5.00 would about cover the first cost for 

 trees for each one hundred feet in length. 

 But three feet apart is fully twice as close as 

 the trees should be for permanent, so that if 

 one does not object to a thin looking row for 

 the flrst few years, they might set them at 

 six feet apart at the start. If the beginning 

 is made at three feet apart, every alternate 

 one, in what is designed to be such a large 

 shelter belt, should be taken out before the 

 branches come together. These could be 

 used for forming similar new lines or in any 

 other style of planting evergreens. 



A belt of this kind should for best results 

 have both good soil 

 and good culture. 

 But we can dismiss 

 this matter by saying 

 that if these for the 

 first six years are 

 fully up to the stan- 

 dard required for a 

 good crop of Po- 

 tatoes or Corn noth- 

 ing further would 

 be needed. 



Some who might 

 like Norway Spruce 

 shelter belts would 

 not aspire to having 

 one of such mon 

 strous proportions 

 as the last described. 

 All such can be ac- 

 commodated. There 

 is no ordinary tree 

 in cultivation that 

 will bear the shears 

 to equal that of the 

 Norway Spruce. By 

 an annual pruning 

 in June a line that 

 might without prun- 

 ing reach a height of 

 70 feet in thirty 



On Growing Trees From Seed, 



PROP. W. J. BEAL, UICHIQAN AORICULTITRA L COLLEGE. 



Till a person begins to plant and oiltivate 

 trees and shrubs, as here attempted, he does not 

 realize how little any one in this country 

 knows about the best sorts to select and how to 

 treat them from the seeds to mature trees. 



In starting the trees in the arboretum the 

 seeds were usually planted when freshly 

 gathered, just where the trees were to remain. 

 The rows are four feet apart and run north and 

 south. For five or six years, and in some cases 

 more, they were regularly cultivated like a 

 field of Corn till about the middle of August, 

 and again late in autumn. As the trees crowded 

 some were cut out. A very little trimming 

 has been done by way of removing dead limbs 

 and preventing bad crotches. 



After the trees had got a good start and 

 shaded the ground pretty well, cultivation gen- 

 erally ceased, as it seemed as though they would 

 take cai'e of themselves, but June Grass and 

 some other grasses and weeds soon crept in and 

 partially occupied the ground, apparently re- 

 tarding considerably the growth of the trees. 

 The grasses and weeds which seem to do the 

 most harm are capable of growing late in au- 

 tumn and early in spring, while there is no 

 foUage on the trees to shade the ground or 

 plants below. 



To save the expense of cultivation after a 

 few years and to keep the grass out we need to 

 know the best nurses, i.e., the trees, shrubs or 

 herbs which hold their leaves well in the shade. 

 Forest leaves where deep enough keep out the 

 grass, but the wind drives most dead leaves out 

 of the arboretum. To get a few points on this 

 topic of nurses, in October last I made quite a 

 complete list of the broad leaved undergi'o wth of 

 the arboretum. This included some CO species. 

 Some of those holding their leaves best are 

 Black Cap Raspbereies, Common Milkweeds, 

 Desmodium, Celandine, Wild Asters, Golden- 

 rods, Grape-vines, seedlings of many trees or 

 shrubs, such as Black Cherry, American Elm, 

 Butternut, Low Willows, Catalpas, Birches 

 and Box Alders. To these may also be added 

 White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Beech, Sugar 

 Maple, Dogwood, Hazel, Blue Beech, Choke 

 Cherry, Poplars, and sprouts and seedlings of 



Rapidity of growth is relative, variable and 

 an uncertain element ; still some trees are usu- 

 ally more rapid growers than others. To grow 

 fast relatively a tree needs to have many good 

 roots and branches clothed with an abundance 

 of good leaves. For this it needs a suitable 

 soil and climate, and room enough in which to 

 spread itself. The south tree of the row is 

 more exposed to the Ught than most of the rest, 

 and is generally the largest. 



I have made a selection, and below are given 

 the age, height and diameter of the lai'gest tree 

 of its kind. The diameter is taken one foot 

 from the ground. If there is no mistake in 

 figuring, the tree first mentioned made the 

 slowest growth, and the one last named the 

 fastest growth. 



Table Ohnng the Age, Height, and Diameter of 

 Different Trees. 



Name. M«. H.igbt. ^; 



Tesra. Feet. ,„'„Ym. 



Swamp White Oak 11 18 2 



Sugar Maple 10 18 2 



White Pine 9 16 2>4 



Butternut ... 10 18 8 



Black Walnut 9 16 31< 



White Ash 10 28 4 



Black Cherry 7 17 3 



Basswood 10 25 4>J 



Red Elm, 14 80 6M 



Poplar Birch 13 30 6 



Balsam Poplar 12 30 6 



European Larch 13 28 7 



Locust 7 25 m 



Chestnut 10 22 7 



Catalpa speciosa 13 28 10 



Silver Maple 12 35 10^ 



With reference to the above figures, I may 

 add that Butternut does not hold out its rate of 

 rapid growth as well as it promised for a few 

 years at first. White Ash has been checked for 

 two years by bark Uce. The Locust trees are 

 very fine and healthy, only a few in all, and 

 were planted later than the trees on either 

 side. The size of the Chestnut tree, as given 

 in the table, is considerable larger than any 

 other tree of the kind. The Catalpa is the one 

 usually called hardy, but our trees are damaged 

 by cold winters. — College Bulletin No. 21. 



Plants often lead a miserable existence in 

 the living rooms, because of dryness and dust. 

 Keep a vessel of boiling water on the stove, 

 and every other day sprinkle the leaves, either 



AN EFFECTIVE WIND 



years could be kept down to oue-leuth of this 

 height, and in the very best condition. If 

 a close hedge like this would be desired the 

 trees should be three or less feet apart. 



AK OF NOHWAY SPRUCE, 70 FEET 



many others, as holding their lower leaves well. 

 Some of the evergreens, such as White Pine, 

 Arbor Vitse, Red Cedar and Norway Spruce, 

 also hold their lower leaves well. 



HIGH, LOCATED AT ELGIN, ILLINOIS. 



with a whisk broom or a watering-pot with 

 fine holes. If the plant-stand is on oil-cloth, 

 the pots need not be removed. Not much water 

 will get on the floor. " Sister Gracious," 



