TREES 



TREES 



1841 



must often h:ive quick-irrowin^ trees wliicli s-ion \h-o- 

 duL'e fuel, but wbieh have Utile, if any, value fi>r oilier 

 purposes. lu the eastern part of the Plains the black 

 wiUow, ahuond 'fvillow, eornnion oottouwood, silver 

 maple, and box elder are useful trees for this ]»urpo>e. 

 We should not coudenm the use of these easily ^rrowu 

 soft-wooded trees. A forest is a crop, and thi-re is uv 

 reason ^vhy a farmer may not plant a nu.ire quickly 

 crrowini:: crop if he wishes, but he should at the same 

 time plant the more enduring kinds .ijiven in the preeed- 

 ini: lists. On the oeutral Phiins the qiiickly-trrown trees 

 may include the same willows and oottonwood and also 

 the" bos elder. The silver maple will not do well in the 

 greater part of this central reg-ion. On the westeni 

 Plains the list is essentially the same as for the central 

 portion: namely, the willows, cottoinvood, and the box 

 elder, to whicli may be added, here and there, one or 

 more of the western species of cottonwood. 



Now for the horticultural point of view. About the 

 country homes the tirst trees are usually cottoiiwoud, 

 silver maple and box elder, followed later by green ash 

 and white elm. Very commonly the red cedar is planted 

 with the first mentioned species, and often Scotch and 

 Austrian pines are sdon added. It must be remembered 

 that the settler's house on the Plains stands in the 

 open instead of being hennned in liy forest trees, as in 

 the eastern portions of the American continent. The 

 settler's problem is to surround his house with trees, 

 not to clear the trees away. In towns and cities the 

 cottonwood, silver maple and box elder are generally 

 the pioneer trees, since they produce a shade sooner 

 than any others, and later these are gradually replaced 

 bv green ash and white elm. Hackberry, black walnut 

 and buttonwood are occasionally planted with good 

 success. The species which are most largely used for 

 wind-breaks for orchards and other plantations are com- 

 mon cottonwood, willow (a variety of Salix alha). sil- 

 ver maple and box elder. The tirst mentioned, because 

 of its easy propagation, rapid growth and extreme har- 

 diness, is the favorite tree for this purpose. Where 

 landscape gardening is attempted, the Scotch and 



)\V 



MMnallv aihled'l 

 p (]-:he;iirnuvi, :i 

 The renifen 



2558. A tree g:TOup dominated by a leaning oak, which 

 is a remnant of the forest. 



Austrian pines. Xorway spruce and red cedar are gen- 

 erally usfd. and to these are often added one or more 

 species of the Rocky Mountain spruces. The most 

 generally used deciduous tree for this purpose is the 



white elin (whieli here attain 

 form and foliage), to whieh ; 

 oak, bhu'k walnut and Knssi 

 in proper situations, the whit 

 trees ot' greatest value 

 for ornanii'ntnl purposes 

 on the Phiins are the 

 Austrian pine, Scotch 

 pine and red cedar. With 

 proper care these may 

 be grown on all parts 

 of the Plains where 

 water <.-nough to main- 

 t:iin life may be ob- 

 tained. On the extreme 

 eastern border the Nor^ 

 way sprtice and even the 

 baNam fir have proveil 

 valuable. Among decid- 

 U"us trees the white elm 

 hoi, Is first place, fol- 

 lowed by the hackVierry 

 ("wdiich is not as nnu-li 

 phiuted as it dt.-serves ) 

 and the L;reen a^h. 



C. E. Bkssey. 



Trees Grown for Shade 

 and Ornament in Cali- 

 fornia, — The mild and 

 ei-iuable climate of L'ali- 

 fornia all'.iws a w i d e 

 range of availabh- s]>e- 

 cies from wliich to se- 

 lect trees for shade, or- 

 nament and slielti.'r. ( in 

 account of tlie Icaig rainy 

 season, the low humid- 

 ity of the atmosphere, 

 and the relatively hitch 

 mean, and freedom from 

 low winter minima in 

 temperatures, the tree-- 

 which tiiriveltest in mid- 

 dle California are those 



indigenous to the arid and senii-arid warm-temperate 

 re2:ions of the globe, e. g.. southern Australia, the Medi- 

 terranean region. South Africa, northern ^Mexico and 

 Chile. I\Iany trees of the temperate humid regions also 

 thrive in this state, particularly in the relatively humid 

 climate of the coast, and are offered by our nurserymen. 

 Several of the species mentioned in this list are not 

 described in this L'yclopedia, as they did not appear to 

 be in the general trade when the pages were written. 



I. The Speoie'=: Most Extensively Planted. — The 

 three following are the trees mo^t treijuently met with 

 as shade and ornamental trees iu middle California; 



1. EuealyptTLs Globulus. 

 '_*. Cupressus macrocarpa. 

 8. Pinus radiata. 



The relative abundance of the succeeding species is 

 only approximately indicated by their sequence. 



4. Robinia Psendacacia, probably more widely distributed 

 and occurring in more remote and out-of-tlie-way 

 places than any other species (except, perhaps, 



Two types of conifers - 

 pine and spruces. 



TIk 



£ucal>/pt>'.s Gloln'I 



brought aero; 



the ndnes. 

 5. Melia Azedarneli.^ar 

 G. Phcenix Canariensis. 



7. Sehinus Molle. 



8. Acacia melanoxylon. 



9. Acacia moUissima. 



10. Magnolia granditlora. 



11. Populus deltoides. var. Caroliueusis. 



12. Washingtouia roliusta. 



13. Cordyline australis and other species 



14. Araucaria Bidwillii. 

 1-5. Araucaria excelsa. 

 1(3. Grevillea robusta. 



17. .Juglaus Californica and spp. 



15. Ulmus racemosa and spp, 



\9. Acer Negnndo and v.nr. Californiciim. 

 120. Salix Babylonica. 



eetls may have been 



the Plains by the eLirliest settlers at 

 aculifiirnus 



