12 



cottonwood. It makes a less rapid height growth, and thus 

 enables Ash and Elm to keep pace with it. While under the 

 cotton woods in plat 1, the weeds gain a foot-hold, from the 

 trunk of the tree out, under the P. certinensis the ground is 

 free from weeds from the trunk well out even with the tips of 

 the lower branches. The last named tree suffers most from the 

 leaf beetle. 'In 1891, the growing points of the certinensis were 

 almost denuded of their leaves by the ravages of this insect 

 In the fall after the beetle had disappeared, these branches put 

 out a new growth of leaves. As was at the time antici- 

 pated, all this new growth died back during the winter. 

 This season, a similar occurrence, though in a less degree, 

 has taken place, and we may expect a corresponding 

 dying back the coming winter. The ravages of this beetle were 

 measurably checked during this season, by spraying the trees 

 with London Purple, one pound to 200 gallons of water. 



The tallest P. certinensis, planted in 1889 is 11 ft. 8 in. in 

 height and 2J in. in diameter, one foot from the ground. The 

 average height is about 9 feet. 



EUROPEAN LAECH. 



Perhaps no other tree in the forest plats has shown greater 

 improvement over previous season's growth than has the Larch. 

 It occurs in plat 3, the nurse trees in this plat being Box Elder. 

 Heretofore, the Larch has shown little or no tendency to estab- 

 lish a leading branch. During the first few years, it merely 

 developed a mass of lateral twigs, which, interlacing, gave the 

 tree much the appearance of a tumble weed. Last season a few 

 trees put out leaders, and began upward growth. During the 

 present season, nearly all have began developing tree form, 

 making an average growth of 25 in. of new wood. The largest 

 specimen is now about 6 ft. tall, having put out 37 in. of new 

 wood this season. They showed no tendency to die back during 

 the past winter, and this year's growth was for the most part, 

 directed straight upward from the main stem. 



YELLOW BIRCH. 



This tree has made its best development in plat 10 where it- 

 has hard woods for all its neighbors. It seems to like bright 

 sunshine, a fungus growth which effects its leaves, doing less 



