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plat 8, in which cottonwood is used for the nurse trees. The 

 shade cast by birch and cherry is dense, and nothing grows 

 beneath them, the ash at its best is a thin-foliaged tree, and 

 makes but little denser shade than the cottonwood. The elm 

 while young does not form a dense head, but its shade is quite 

 thick as it grows older. 



The arrangement of trees in the plat has already proven to be 

 faulty. As planted, birch and cherry stand beside each other, 

 leaving the two poorer shade makers together, and thus making 

 a place where the soil will remain uncovered and grass and weeds 

 will grow. A better arrangement would have been to alternate 

 cherry, elm, birch, and ash, thus placing a light foliaged species 

 between two dense foliaged kinds- 



As regards the action of the hard woods when planted together, 

 no difference has been observed in their growth between this 

 and other plots, with the possible exception of the ash, of which 

 fewer trees have reached the height of six feet. The black wild 

 cherry has only developed the tree form in few instances as yet. 

 Most of the trees of this variety consist of a mass of branches, 

 which start from the trunk within a foot of the ground, making 

 the tree as great in diameter as in height. A few specimens show 

 leading branches, and these indicate the tendency of the species. 

 Both white and yellow birch are spiral in shape, and they hold 

 their foliage later than any. other deciduous species. Thus far 

 they have withstood the extreme drouth of our autumns as well 

 as any species, though they are natives af a cool damp climate. 

 Fewer birches survived the first year than any other species, 

 but once established they have proven satisfactory. It is yet too 

 early to recommend them without qualification. 



SUMMARY. The plot contains 252 wild cherry, averaging 4- ft. 

 in height, of which 20 are 6 ft. or over, the tallest being 7 ft. 3 

 in.; average growth for the year 2ft, greatest growth 39 inches; 

 171 birch, averaging 5 ft. 6 in., 90 over 6 ft., the tallest being 9 

 ft. 7 in. ; average growth 2^ ft, greatest growth 56 in. ; 329 elm, 

 averaging 5 ft., 88 over 6 ft., the tallest being 8 ft. 6 in. } average 

 growth 2 ft., greatest growth 50 inches; 301 ash averaging^ ft., 

 13 over 6 ft, the tallest being 7 ft. 2 in., average growth 18 inches. 



