“TREES AND SHRUBS. 155 
tree, the wild red cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica) , properly 
belongs to this group. 
' In addition to the foregoing species, which are native, the red 
currant (Ribes rubrum) and the black locust (Robinia pseud- 
acacia) may be found in waste places or openings, having 
escaped from cultivation. The red currant appears to be native. 
Not ali the species here listed are of like value, nor are all 
‘usable for the same purposes. The most useful lumber trees 
are the ashes, butternut and walnut, red and rock elms, cherry 
’ birch, black cherry, the hickories, the oaks, red cedar and white 
pine. For ties and posts the white oak, bur oak, honey locust 
and black locust are most servicable. The most valuable native 
shade trees are the hard maple, hackberry, ashes, American 
‘elm, basswood, canoe birch and white pine. The most useful 
species for windbreaks and shelter belts are the soft maple, 
ashes, boxelder, cottonwood, balm of Gilead and red cedar. 
All of these are used more or less for fuel. 
Among the native ornamental trees and shrubs the hard 
maple, Virginia creeper and the sumachs are remarkable for 
the splendor of their autumn foliage; the bittersweet for its 
bright fruit; the June-berry, crab-apple, hawthorns and black 
locust for their flowers; the false indigo, honeysuckles, wild 
roses, elderberries, atragene, bladdernut, dogwoods, black haw, 
sheep-berry, New Jersey tea and nine-bark for flowers and foli- 
age; and the white pine, balsam fir, shining willow and red- 
osier dogwood for the beauty of the foliage and crown. 
As already noted these native species are eminently suitable 
for all purposes for which trees and shrubs. are used, but never- 
theless, numerous species have been introduced in cultivation 
for ornamental purposes. Among the introduced conifers are 
the Scotch and Austrian pines, Norway spruce, European larch, 
arbor-vite and hemlock, and among the deciduous trees the 
silver poplar, Lombardy poplar, buckeye, catalpa, mountain ash 
and white willow. In this connection a report on a tree-census 
of a portion of the city of Decorah, including several blocks and 
streets in the residence part, may be of interest. The number 
