14 



Once established,- it makes a very rapid height growth, keeping 

 well in pace with the Box Elder as a nurse tree, so that it will 

 endure planting where a dense leaf canopy is to surround it. 

 This season, it has made its best growth in that part of plat 5, 

 where the best stand of Box Elders, as nurse trees was secured, 

 and where the leaf canopy is as nearly perfect, as in any part of 

 the plantation. The second best growth was made in the hard 

 wood plat, 10. In this plat, the leaf canopy is superior to that 

 of most of the soft wood plats, except 4 and 5. The largest Elm 

 in the plats is 12| ft. high and has a diameter of 2J in- 



ASH. 



As a hard wood the Ash promises to be equal, if not superior 

 to the Elm for this vicinity. It is more hardy, more easily 

 transplanted, seems to endure drought better, especially in its 

 early stages, and makes a more valuable wood than Elm- Here 

 it suffers more from the ravages of the Ash borer, than does the 

 Elm from any insect f enemies. In growth it keeps well up with 

 the Elm. The largest tree in the plats is 10 ft. 3 in high and 

 1J in. in diameter, a foot from the ground. Plats 21 and 20 

 planted to Ash and Elm respectively show a more nearly equal 

 comparative growth than do plats 14 and 15 planted to the same 

 varieties. The two first mentioned plats are very low, and were 

 very wet, during the growing season. The two latter named 

 are oil higher and dryer ground. The growth in these four 

 plats, indicates that Elm makes more rapid comparative growth 

 on low wet land than does the Ash. 



BLACK WALNUTS. 



The walnuts were slow growers at first and many died the 

 first few seasons. For the past year none have died. All that 

 once succeeded in establishing themselves are growing well. 

 Those that have most shade, thus far tend to outgrow those in 

 sunshine. The tallest is 6 ft. 3 in. high. 



SOFT MAPLE. 



Heretofore, the records of each season accredited this tree 

 with dying back badly ^ during each winter, and sending up 

 tufts of shoots of nearly equal size, each summer. The past 



