51 
equally hardy. Cottonwood and white willow are not hardy except in moist soils, 
each usually failing after a feW years’ growth. A limited experience with some other 
willows and several poplars leads me to think some of these may prove more hardy. 
The larch, basswood, wild black cherry, native white birch, and some other trees, 
mostly American, promise well in places, and deserve further trial. Soft maple does 
not seem very hardy. It may, like some other kinds, be more hardy when older and 
where protected by other trees. The nut-bearing trees, black walnut excepted, and 
that grown from seed, killed wholly the first winter. Only a few evergreens have 
been tested. Small red cedars have been partially killed at times, not always, and 
never entirely. Few others appear as hardy. White pine may be, and grows faster. 
Trees should always be planted in spring, summer, or autumn, according to kind. 
I have usually planted trees of 1 to 2 years’ growth; think 1 year preferable, and 
with few exceptions prefer them to seed, ifin good condition. Some good cultivat- 
ors prefer planting seed, and if it germinates well, the great difficulty in dry soil, it 
is preferable to trees, as the roots of trees must be more or less injured in digging, 
handling, and transplanting. Small trees can be planted very rapidly with a spade, 
if the ground is marked, cr by a hoe in a plowed furrow. Mr. R. Douglas, of Wau- 
kegan, Lllinois, gives admirable instructions for planting upon a large scale. The 
essential things with any method are (1) to have the ground properly prepared; (2) 
to have good trees or seeds; (3) to have the work well done at the proper time; and 
(4) to have the trees well cultivated and protected in after years. It is preferable to 
have some trees watered and even mulched when planted, though with smal! trees 
this is not usually necessary. 
The after care and culture is as important as proper planting. If 4 by 4 feet dis- 
tant and in rows each way, the most common method, they can be cultivated like 
corn, and the kind of culture they receive will be as visible by their growith, condi- 
tion, and even the life of some of them in after years, as it is upon a crop of corn, 
If the land was deeply plowed and cleanly cultivated for several years before planting 
the trees will not be likely to suffer from drought unless their culture is neglected. 
Frequent shallow cultivation of the whole surface soil, while destroying weeds, 
will also prevent the injurious effects of excessive dryness. Cultivation should eease 
by about August 1, to prevent too late growth and consequent winter killing. After 
that date all large weeds and any near to a small tree should be removed by hand 
work. Only clean culture for several years and protection of the tree from the tramp- 
ing and browsing of live stock wili secure healthy and rapidly growing trees. Prairie 
fires are dangerous if the land is very weedy, or if the trees are so large that cultiva- 
tion has ceased. To be safe, a sufficient breadth of land should continue to be cleanly 
cultivated, it may be with some suitable crop. 
The growth of trees is variable, owing to many causes, as soil, season, cultivation, 
etc. Cottonwood, where hardy, grows faster than most trees. All the ashes are slow 
growers. In 8 years the average growth of cottonwood is 6 inches in diameter, of 
soft maple and box elder 4 inches, and of ash not over 2inches. If pruned or thickly 
planted, trees grow taller than where growing more scattered or singly, nature always — 
adapting the shape of trees to their surroundings. 
Some woods being so much more valuable than others, it is wise to try the cultiva- 
tion of the more desirable kinds and to increase the planting of such as fast as found 
to succeed. When a wind-break is of the first importance it is best to plant for that 
object mostly rapid-growing kinds; elsewhere chiefly those of more value for fuel,” 
fencing, building, and lumber. Some of the oaks are hardy and should be early 
planted, the acorns being preferable to trees. 
Among the common errors of the past have been the hasty and imperfect manner 
in which prairie tree-planting has been done—preparation of the soil, quality of 
trees or seeds, and the neglect of proper care. The ‘‘ tree-claim” or timber-culture 
act is partly responsible for many of the failures under its requirements. Thus 
it specifies that the prairie must be ‘‘ broken” one season; the next year it must be 
