21 



As in other plats where different poplars have been used as 

 nurse trees, the result here is not as satisfactory as where "box 

 elder has done well. It was thought the silver or soft maple 

 might prove valuable as a nurse, but it is more tender than box 

 elder, and thus far has not proven as satisfactory as that varie- 

 ty in any other way. Last winter the box elder killed back 

 where not protected by snow, but the box elder, unless very 

 much injured, will send up one stem from below the dead place, 

 and thus form a single trunk; the maple is rather more tender, 

 and it sends up a member of shoots from below the dead line, 

 thus giving it a bush rather than a tree form. It may be, as 

 the trees mature that one of these shoots will overcome the 

 others, thus forming a good trunk, but the tendency is the 

 other way. 



The white birch thus far equals, if it does not surpass the 

 yellow birch in hardiness and in growth. It is a beautiful tree, 

 and a few specimens will be valuable for this reason, though 

 the species is not considered a useful forest tree, not attaining 

 large size. 



Of 170 Scotch pines originally planted, 84, or about one half, 

 are now standing. Not more than half of these are in good 

 condition. Last spring the blanks in the pines were reset with 

 line trees from our own nursery. Great care was taken in trans- 

 planting, but extremely dry weather followed, and very few of 

 the transplanted trees lived. The Scotch pines that are well 

 established are making satisfactory growth and seem better 

 adapted for cultivation on the prairies than any of the conifers 

 yet tried at the Station. 



The cottonwoods in this plat are similar in growth and con- 

 dition to those already noted. 



SUMMARY. This plat contains 110 white birch, averaging 5 ft. 

 high, of which 58 are over 6 ft. high, the tallest being 8 ft.. 6 in.' 

 84 Scotch pine, averaging 18 inches, of which the tallest is 4 ft. ; 

 165 maple averaging 4 ft-, of which 17 are over 6 ft., the tallest 

 being 7 ft. 3 in.; 99 green ash (substituted for maple); 560 cot- 

 ton wood and other poplars, the cottonwoods averaging 9 ft, 

 Total trees 1018, 



