ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS FOR MONTANA 7 

 RULES FOR SELECTING ORNAMENTALS 



The selection of plants for Montana lawns is a very difficult 

 problem, as many ornamental plants that are valuable in the east, 

 and states farther south, cannot be grown successfully over the 

 whole state. Many of the desirable ornamental plants die in Mon- 

 tana from one or sieveral of the following reasons : 



First, Early fall frosts. Injury is often due to the fact that the 

 plants do not mature early enough in the fall to stand the first 

 frosts. Many plants are killed before the leaves have fallen in the 

 fall. As a general rule the hardiest plants are those that mature 

 early. 



Second, Low temperature during the winter months. Compar- 

 atively few plants, however, are killed from excessively low tem- 

 peratures if they matured well in the fall. 



Third, Too much water in the soil. Plants are sometimes kill- 

 td during the winter months because of water standing about their 

 trunks or roots. This condition can be avoided by seeing that the 

 soil is well drained and by not applying too much water late in the 

 season. 



Fourth, Plants sometimes become too dry during the winter 

 months and die for want of sufficient moisture. It is a known 

 fact that plants transpire more or less water during the winter or 

 in the dormant season, and unless the soil has a certain amount of 

 moisture the plants will dry out. In many parts of this state the 

 soil becomes lexceedingly dry after the latest fall irrigation. In 

 such cases it is good practice to irrigate after the leaves have fallen 

 and just before the ground freezes. At this irrigation it is necess- 

 ary to apply only enough water to moisten the ground to a depth 

 at which the roots feed. The ground should not be made too wet. 



Fifth, Sun-scald. A few ornamental plants are injured during 

 the winter months by so-called sun-scald. This is caused by the 

 tun shining upon the south and west side of the tree trunks during 

 the winter months. The sun will make the south and west sides of 

 the trunk very warm in the daytime and when it freezes hard at 

 night the cells of the bark and the cambium layer are injured, caus- 

 ing them to peel and break away from the trunk. This condition 

 can be prevented by giving shade to the south and west sides of 

 the trunk during the winter months. Shade can be provided by 



