THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



each square. Eleven came up. Two died as 

 seedlings ; the remaining nine had a sickly child- 

 hood. All gave up the struggle for existence 

 by the end of the year. 



Then a strip of sod land which had been used 

 for potatoes and corn, rape and rye, in success- 

 ion, was set aside as an experimental nursery 

 for trees. One-half was divided into three seed 

 beds, and three given over to transplanted 

 seedlings, home grown, and collected from the 

 woods. Our purpose was to rear trees of the 

 species we wanted for a wind-break across the 

 new chicken-house; a narrow plantation along 

 the bank of the river, where trees had been 

 ruthlessly removed; and an avenue from the 

 house to the barn and buildings. For the second 

 venture, the catalpa seeds were removed from 

 the pod, spread out on papers in the light, and 

 when dry, tied up in sugar bags. In the 

 spring they were planted two inches deep and 

 ten inches apart, in rows two feet apart. 

 Nearly all the seeds came up, so we thinned 

 out considerably. The bed was weeded and 



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