8 DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



The trees were dug as soon as the frost was out of the ground, and 

 were carefully heeled in. When planting begun, the roots of all the 

 trees were "puddled" in a mixture of fresh cow-dung, clay and water. 

 In planting, the trees were carried in buckets, with earth thrown over 

 the roots. All were planted with a spade, four feet apart both ways. 

 In setting the small trees, the spade was thrust into the ground the full 

 length of the blade, the earth was pressed back, the tree inserted, and 

 the hole filled and tramped firmly with the feet. For all trees having 

 fibrous roots a hole was dug. All were made firm by tramping close 

 to the crown. The plats are so arranged that the soft wooded varieties 

 will serve as nurses to slower growing hard wooded sorts, compelling 

 them to grow tall and straight. The hard wooded sorts are arranged 

 so that all trees of the same variety in one plat are equally distant; by 

 this means if any one kind bejiremoved, the relative position of the re- 

 mainder will not be changed. 



An effort was made to give the permanent trees as much space as 

 possible. The culture has been thorough. At no time during the sea- 

 has a crust been permitted to remain on the plats, and no weeds or 

 grasses have been allowed to grow. Almost the entire work of cultiva- 

 tion has been done with harrow-tooth cultivators, implements of the 

 highest value where only surface-stirring of the soil, and weed killing, 

 are desired. It is necessary in their use, however, to keep them going. 

 It is impossible to use them to advantage after the ground has become 

 weedy, but for killing small weeds I know nothing better. 



Twice during the season the plantation was carefully examined for 

 couch grass or quack grass (Triticum repens), and the few plants found 

 were carefully dug out with a spade. This weed is the greatest ene- 

 my to tree-claims in Dakota. It spreads very rapidly by means of 

 slender underground stems, every joint of which strikes root and sends 

 up leaves. If the plant be pulled up, these underground stems, which 

 are very delicate, break off and remain in the soil to continue the 

 growth of the pest. It is almost impossible to kill the couch grass 

 after it is once established. The only safe plan is to keep the tree 

 plantation entirely free from the first. 



Freedom from weeds is the least of the benefits derived from thor- 

 ough culture. By far the greatest good is seen in the condition of the 

 soil. At any time during the dry month of June, when the adjacent 

 prairie grass seemed almost dead for want of water, moist soil could be 

 found anywhere in the tree-plantation by brushing a little of the sur- 

 face soil away with the foot. Places that were not well cultivated were 

 baked and hard, while moist soil could always be found just below the 



