THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



long must I wait before I get protection? 

 Is it a long-lived or short-lived tree? What 

 do I want for moist soil or dry soil, sand or 

 clay ? Must I trim this tree to keep it dense 

 enough — if so, when and how? What is it 

 worth to me "in dollars and cents to have 

 evergreens for comfort and privacy? Any 

 trustworthy nurseryman in your neighborhood 

 can answer all these questions for you, except 

 what it is worth to you to have protection ; 

 and that is the most important question 

 of all. You alone can answer that. 



Never plant an evergreen tree by itself; 

 sooner or later its limbs will get broken. 

 Plant evergreens in groups for two reasons: 

 if they stand shoulder to shoulder like sheep, 

 they can resist winds. If they grow in 

 groups their needles and the leaves of decidu- 

 ous trees will carpet the ground and the mois- 

 ture problem solves itself. Plant evergreens 

 ten feet apart, and then be sure to thin them 

 before they begin to compete with one an- 

 other. Our forefathers neglected this, and 

 that is one reason why their shelter belts look 

 so ragged. If you start with trees three feet 

 high, take out half of them at the end of 

 six years and use them elsewhere or sell 

 them for more than the whole windbreak 

 has cost you up to that time. Let them stay, 

 and they will reduce the value of the whole 

 plantation. 



SPECIES FOR EASTERN WINDBREAKS, BY 

 HENRY HICKS, NEW YORK 



If one cares only for the beauty of conifers, 

 the list of possible kinds of plants is 

 bewildering in its number, but if comfort, 

 privacy and permanence are essential, select 

 from those species that are native to the 

 northeastern United States. Moreover, that 



17. The second best cheap, hardy evergreen hedge — American arborvilae {Thuya occidentals) . lis flat sprays 

 are rather coarse and get monotonous and in winter the arborvitae is dull brown and dead looking 



choice is still further simplified by the fact 

 that the red and pitch pines and the red 

 spruces are not handled by nurserymen to any 

 extent and the juniper or ground cedar is not 

 in the windbreak class, because it only grows 

 five feet high. In practice it comes down to 

 about this: The best windbreak of all is 

 probably the white spruce, which preserves 

 its lower limbs after bearing the brunt of 

 winter gales for thirty years and more. The 

 white pine is second choice and can be kept 

 compact by trimming. For a high hedge, 

 hemlock ranks first in beauty, being dark 

 and rich in color, light and graceful in aspect. 

 The arborvitae is the most available hedge 

 plant at the nurseries, because it is easy to 

 transplant. The best tall hedge in many 

 sections is the red cedar; it stands dry and 



variable climate and is available in large 

 sizes. For formal gardens where a small 

 symmetrical tree is wanted, or a tall spire 

 like the cypress of Italian gardens, the red 

 cedar fills all requirements. It is commonly 

 regarded as impatient of being moved, but 

 there is no trouble if the roots are taken with 

 a good ball of soil. There is a natural 

 tendency to shake out the roots, especially as 

 the tree is narrow and makes no long roots. 

 But if this is done, transplanting is neces- 

 sarily a failure. 



WINDBREAKS FOR THE PRAIRIE STATES 

 BY T. H. DOUGLAS, ILLINOIS 



In many parts of the country, which are 

 particularly exposed, as some regions of the 

 Middle West for example, some kind of pro- 



18. The most beautiful and satisfactory evergreen hedge, if we except the broad-leaved plants such as holly, which represent an entirely different type of beauty. 

 The feathery spray of hemlocK cannot be excelled and the plant has a lively green in winter. It must be trimmed yearly 



