dry air of the western plains. There are some fair specimens 

 on the lawns of Brookings and it has done well in the shelter 

 of the forest plats at this Station, but it does not enjoy open 

 exposure. The general experience is that there are other 

 evergreens better adapted to prairie air. 



One of the most rapid in growth of the spruces in regions 

 adapted to its best development. Upon my first trip to 

 Russia in 1894 I learned that the Russian foresters had found 

 that the Norway spruce of Germany, France and west Eur- 

 ope in general, was much inferior for planting on Russian 

 steppes to Norway spruce as found native in European- 

 Russia and in Siberia although botanically the same. This 

 illustrates the point that botanical names are sometimes in- 

 adequate for the horticulturist. This observation was con- 

 firmed while visiting Russia in 1897 and again in 1906 as 

 agricultural explorer for the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 A small amount of Russian seed of Norway spruce was ob- 

 tained in 1897 but circumstances did not permit the carrying 

 out the details of the experiment. Until our present system 

 of seed-gathering is changed and for various other reasons, 

 it will be difficult to test this matter in a commercial way. 

 If we do our duty in the way of gathering the seed of Col- 

 orado Blue spruce there will be no especial need for this as 

 our native Rocky Mountain tree is unexcelled for its beauty. 



H. C. Warner, Forestburg, S. D., writes: "Norway spruce 

 planted twenty years ago burned badly and failed." 



Geo. H. Whiting, Yankton, S. D., writes: ''Norway 

 spruce is a very finely formed and strong growing tree, and, 

 where the climate is congenial to it, one of the most valuable 

 sorts. It is not quite at home in this section." 



C. W. Gurney, Yankton, S. D., writes: "Norway spruce 

 will be of but little value in most parts of the state, but ans- 

 wers a good purpose in the southern counties." 



A. Norby, Madison, S. D., Feb. 15, 1907, writes: "The 

 writer set out the first evergreens here in Lake county 

 in the spring of 1885 (100 Norway spruce seedlings.). Most 



