P A R K A N D CEMETERY 
29; 
Hardy Planting Material For The Northwest 
Address before the Minnesota Horticultural Society by F. IV. Brodrick, 
I rofessor of Horticulture and Forestry, Manitoba Agricultural College 
I take much pleasure in iirescnting a sub- 
ject which is of interest to us in the Ca- 
nadian Xorthwest and which, I presume, 
will he of interest to you in Minnesota, 
namely, a discussion of the Shrubs and 
Hardy Herbaceous Perennials suitable for 
farm planting. Jn Canada we realize the 
\ alue of home beautification and are doing 
what we can to encourage work of this 
kind. We feel that much can he done to 
add to the attractiveness of the farm home 
h\' the development of a lawn, and liy the 
planting of a few trees, flowering shrubs 
and herbaceous perennials. In fact, no 
farm home is complete without a lawn 
which has received some degree of orna- 
mentation. The development will require 
some time to complete, and, in order to get 
satisfactory results, the work of lawn- 
making should be thoroughly done. The 
soil for lawns should he well prepared and 
thoroughly enriched before the seed is 
sown. A finely itulverized surface will 
facilitate the germination of the finer grass 
seeds, and, on a good lawn, only the finer 
grasses should he sown. Such grasses as 
Kentucky and Canadian Blue Grass, and 
Red Top, which make a compact growth 
and have a creeping habit induced by the 
running root-stock, are the most suitable 
grasses for lawn making purposes. Sow- 
ing the grass seeds during the early sum- 
mer, covering the seed with a garden rake, 
and thoroughly firming the soil about the 
seed with a garden roller, will induce 
quick germination and hasten the develop- 
ment of a good lawn. 
The planting of trees and shrubs should 
he in keeping with the size of the grounds, 
and the varieties used would be influenced 
by climatic and soil conditions. The at- 
tractiveness of any ornamental scheme of 
this kind will depend on the quality and 
the variety of the material that is planted. 
Tn a country with a rich natural flora, like 
our Canadian West, liberal use should he 
made of the hardier types of native flower- 
ing shrubs and trees. Planting in groups 
of various sizes, depending upon the loca- 
tion and extent of the grounds ; massing 
to give pleasing contrasts or combinations 
of foliage or flowers, and restricting the 
planting largeh' to the outsides or con- 
venient places throughout the grounds, are 
suggestions which may he followed in the 
planting of trees and shrubs on a lawn. 
Herbaceous perennials, with their great 
profusion of bloom, wealth of color, and 
extended season of blooming, are strongly 
to he recommended for ornamental pur- 
poses. The perennials are best planted in 
properly prepared beds or borders with a 
thoroughly enriched soil, and in quantity 
to give a massing of color. A wise selec- 
tion of varieties will give a continuity of 
bloom tliroughout the entire growing sea- 
son. Opportunities for the exercise of 
good taste in the improvement of home 
grounds are many, and much can he done 
in the proper arrangement and combina- 
tion of planting material to make the home 
a place of great beauty. 
From a practical standiioint we find that 
trees and shrubs do best when planted in 
well-jjrepared soil. The land should he 
deeply broken and thoroughly cultivated 
before being planted to trees and shrubs. 
Thorough cultivation for two successive 
seasons is none too much to put such land 
in good condition for tree planting. The 
soil should he enriched h>' heavy manuring 
with well-rotted manure before the trees 
are planted. 
Tn preparing trees or shrubs for plant- 
ing. broken or injured roots should be re- 
moved and the tops of deciduous trees cut 
hack to balance with the reduced root .sys- 
tem. Evergreen trees should receive great 
care during the process of transplanting. 
The roots should never become dried 
while they are out of the soil as severe 
drying is likely to result in the death of 
the tree. Tn planting trees or shrubs, dig 
a hole sufficiently large to take the roots 
without crowding. Spread out the roots 
with the hands, place fresh surface soil 
below' and immediately on top of the roots, 
and pack thoroughl\'. 
great deal of emphasis may be placed 
upon the advantage of procuring home- 
grown trees where at all possible. Some 
of the varieties, while perfectly hardy 
when grown from seed procured under 
western conditions, are not to be depended 
upon when grown from seed produced in 
the south or east. 
Of flowering plants, nothing gives great- 
er satisfaction than the hardy herbaceous 
perennials. By making a careful selection 
of varieties a continuity of bloom may be 
obtained from early in the spring until late 
in the fall. The ease with which they can 
he grown commends the hardy perennials 
very strongly as a \ery satisfactory class 
of flowering plants for western gardens. 
INlost perennials may be started from seed 
b>- sowing the seed in the spring in w'ell- 
prepared garden soil, and transplanting 
from the nursery row' to the permanent 
border when the plants are one or two 
years old. 
The soil for perennials should be w'cll 
prepared and thoroughly enriched w'ith 
well decayed barnyard manure before the 
perennials are planted. Clayey or sandy 
loam, providing it is w'ell drained, will give 
good results. The texture of a very heavy 
clay may he very much improved by the 
incorporation of a quantity of sand with 
the soil. An open, friable soil is preferred 
b_\' most perennials, and particularly those 
with thick fleshy roots or bullis. 
Perennials may he planted either in the 
spring or in the fall. With most kinds, 
howe\er, the spring seems to he the most 
desirable season. The ])lanting should be 
done just before the season of active 
growth begins. Paeony and Iris, which 
have thick fleshy roots, are probably best 
planted in the fall as the developing buds 
may he injured when the work is done in 
the spring of the t’ear. 
The most eTTectixe arrangement of 
perennials is where they are i)lanted in nar- 
row beds, or in borders along w'alks, or at 
the sides or back of the grounds. The 
beauty of the border will depend to a con- 
siderable extent upon the way in which the 
plants are arranged in it. Devices which 
are followed to good effect are massing the 
plants of one variety to give a blaze or 
show' of color. The beauty of the individ- 
ual plants may be greatly increased by 
planting the taller growing kinds at the 
hack of the border and hiding the lower or 
unsightly part of the plant with plants of 
smaller size. 
Perennial borders do not require much 
care during the growing season providing 
the soil has been well prepared before the 
plants are set out. The soil hetw'een the 
plants should be deeplx' dug in the spring 
before the season of active growth, and 
this sjxring cultivation should be followed 
by an occasional stirring of the surface 
soil W'ith a hoe and rake to conserve the 
moisture and prevent the growth of weeds. 
During the winter the roots of peren- 
nials should be protected wdth a thick coat- 
ing of coarse straw' or litter which should 
he allow'ed to remain on the border until 
the season of heavy frosts is past in the 
spring. The coarse material may he re- 
moved and the finer material dug in with 
the soil at the time of the early spring cul- 
tivation. 
The following trees and shrubs are the 
most hardy and most suitable for planting 
in the west : 
DErqDTTOUS SH.tDE .VND WINDBREAK 
TREES. 
Box Elder or TVfanitoba Maple. 
•American or White Elm. 
Green .Ash. 
Basswood. 
Cottonwood. 
.American ATountain Ash. 
Paper or Canoe Birch. 
.Acute Leaved Willow'. 
Laurel Leaved Willow'. 
Russian Golden Willow. 
CONTFEROT'S SIt.VDE TREES. 
Scotch Pine. 
White Spruce. 
Colorado Blue Spruce. 
