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 all 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-vitae 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 



