33 
be a proportionate decline in prices. The Department of Agriculture 
purchased in the aggregate 885,000 conifers during the spring of 1897. 
The trees were all seedlings two to three years old, except such as had 
to be dug in the forests, which probably ran from three to seven years. 
The standard nursery varieties, such as White, Scotch, and Austrian 
Pine, White and Norway Spruce, cost from $2 to $4 per thousand. 
Nursery-grown Douglas Spruce were secured at $6 per thousand, and 
wild seedlings of Red Pine for $12.50 per thousand. It must be under- 
stood, of course, that these prices, so much below the rates quoted in 
the nurserymen’s catalogues, were due to the large blocks of stock 
taken; but they demonstrate that evergreens can be sold at a much 
lower price than is now commonly demanded. It will be observed 
that there is a wide range in the price of stock. The farmer might 
not find it profitable to use pines at $12.50 per thousand, but if he can 
buy them at $3 per thousand there is no class of stock that could be 
so profitably employed in western planting. Even at this rate, how- 
ever, with the heavy per cent of loss that follows ordinary methods of 
handling, the stock is expensive by the time the young trees are well 
established. 
As will be observed in the records of work at the several stations, 
the great difficulty in growing conifers in the plains is in getting them 
safely through the first year. If seeds are used the tiny plants are in 
danger of “damping off” before they are three months old; and if 
young plants are purchased, their first year in their new location is 
beset with constant difficulties. 
The methods of planting in our experiments are detailed in another 
place and need not be repeated here. But in commending the use of 
conifers in the treeless region, it is no more than just to point out to the 
intending planter that no method of treatment that we have yet 
employed has been successful in a marked degree, although the occa- 
sional specimens seen prove that under favorable circumstances success 
is possible. Underplanting among box elders that are about 10 feet 
high resulted in a fair admixture of conifers, but the per cent of loss 
was very heavy (see South Dakota), while underplanting among large 
Silver Maples, as attempted in Kansas, was a complete failure. The 
attempt to grow the common evergreens in nursery rows and in screened 
beds, while not altogether discouraging, was far from satisfactory. In 
South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas no attempt was made to provide 
for the watering of the trees, and this was probably the principal cause 
of failure. I have no doubt, with facilities for watering, and provided 
the young conifers arrive in good condition, they can be grown with 
but slightly more loss than will result in deciduous trees, particularly 
in the eastern part of the forestless region. If the farmer can provide 
a brush screen for his evergreens after getting them into the ground in 
good shape, and then have the nursery bed near enough to the wind- 
20191—No. 18——3 
