13 



feet taller than any other species in the plat, many specimens 

 being three inches in diameter at the butt. The cotton wood 

 leaf beetle has been more prevalent this season than ever be- 

 fore. Appearing in July, it fed through the month of August, 

 and severely checked the growth of the trees. Late in Sep- 

 tember a new growth began, and the trees now (Oct. 20) show 

 young leaves at the, ends of the branches. This new growth 

 has been slight, only from one to three inches, but bein^ unsea- 

 sonable it may result in winterkilling. 



Populus nolester, a Russian form, seems less successful than 

 the more common Populus certinensis. It is a much slower 

 grower than cottonwood, is not so stronsr, but seems less invit- 

 ing to the leaf beetle. Of the walnuts planted, but two in the 

 entire plat survived and these made poor growth. The blanks 

 in this plat, and in plats 4, 6, 8 and 10, were planted with choke 

 cherry seed last fall. The seed germinated freely but all the 

 trees were destroyed by cut-worms. The weed growth differed 

 from Plat 1 only in there being fewer weeds. 



1 It will be noticed that the hard wood trees in this plat are 

 elm and ash (the walnut having failed), and the temporary or 

 nurse trees are cottonwood and box elder. Already the mixture 

 is proving itself a poor one, for the cottonwood demands more 

 light than any other species in the plat, and grows most rapidly, 

 not only in youth but in age. Its foliage is thin, and its shade 

 is not dense, so that it is the poorest species in the plantation 

 for preventing weed growth. By overtopping the more valu- 

 able elm and ash trees it will tend to check their growth, and 

 thus really hinder instead of aid their development. The box 

 elders used in this plat were nearly all one year old when set 

 (spring of '89) and a poor stand was secured, but the trees that 

 made a good start the year they were set have made a good 

 growth, and have winter killed very little, while those that made 

 a feeble growth have winter killed quite badly, and are hardly 

 yet in a thrifty condition. 



This suggests the importance of careful setting- at a time 

 when sufficient moisture for growth is assured, and thorough 

 cultivation the first season. 



