Part II

house great care should be taken to avoid too much drying. treated. It retains its germinating qualities for two years, if well --43-- The maple family does well upon mountains where the soil is loose and mixed with stones. Forests composed wholly of these trees are only to be found upon rich soils, but they will greatly advantage other kinds with their foliage, if sprinkled among them. They will not flourish near the ocean. Soft Maple. This tree is very easily raised and of rapid growth. It spreads more into branches than the former, and the wood is inferior, but must be cultivated in the same manner. The seed ripens in June and drops off. Forests composed wholly of these trees are not desirable, as they are veey easily broken down by the wind, which destroys their value and makes their culture of little use under such circumstances; neither should they be planted with the Sugar Maple as their growth is twice as rapid. The general rule with Maples, Ash, and even Elms, is to plant them in the ri�b.t soil or they will not do well, as they are more particular in this direction than other trees, with probably the exception of the Soft Map'.e, which seed ripens in June and which grows on almost any soil. White Ash. This tree flourishes only in places where there is an abundance of moisture but not too much, as it will not grow in swamps or marshes. But along the banks of rivers and upon soil which has been washed in, it thrives in a wonderful manner, while it does poorly on higher places especially on the south side of hills. In a crowded condition it forms a trunk clear of branches almost to the very top, and becomes a valuable tree ; if plenty of room is given for spreading it makes %. fine shade tree. Black Ash. This tree is called by some, Water Ash, as it is* generally found growing in swampy places, where it does well, but the water must not be entirely stagnant, but must have some chance to run off, and the wet condition of the place must have originated from springs, which can be detected in some higher places. As such localities generally derive their swampy nature from the condition of the soil, which lets the water through very slowly, a drainage can easily be effected and the soil made fit for more valuable purposes. Culture with spruce would be advisable if it were not for the late and early frosts which occur in such wet places. Blue Ash. This is a valuable tree and grows quite well in dryer situations than the White Ash ; forms a fine tree and furnishes good timber. Seed of all Ash varieties mentioned, ripens late in the fall and is quite hard to gather, best to cut down some trees for that purpose. Expose it to the frost, otherwise the young plants will make their appearance the second year after seeding. White Elm is a tree highly esteemed both for ornament and shade, as �well as for the forest. It can be trimmed to grow in the most beautiful shapes like pillars supporting arches. It is therefore most desirable for --44- planting along the sides of streets and roads. When Elm trees grow crowded together in the forests they form long, branchless trunks, of which the upper end is of nearly the same diameter as the lower. But when thus situated, they do not grow to as large a diameter, as when standing singly. They thrive in rich, moist, loose soil, but prefer one which is rich and loamy, near rivers, although on poorer land they grow quite well. They prefer the sunny, or southerly side of a hill, and are more at home in a warm climate than upon the cold western prairies; still their degree of hardiness is sufficient for enduring the existing temperature. They do not flourish well on the sea shoie. The seed ripens in May and June and drops at maturity. If sown as soon as ripe and attention is paid to watering, the plants will grow enough the same season to overcome the severity of the winter temperature, but if saved until the next spring it must be well spread in an airy loft, and turned often until dry, after which it should be put into bags and hung up in a cool, shady place. Its germinating power lasts only one year. In very cold climates it is surest to sow in autumn and cover with a thin layer of leaves or other protecting- material until spring. The small seeds should only be put into the seed bed together with earth. The best course to pursue and a method which is cheapest and safest for all private indivuals, is to plant it in a nursery from which the young trees may be afterwards carried to the places in which they are finally to grow, excepting wherever the forests are to be renewed directly from trees which are left standing for seed and as a protection of the young plants against atmospheric influenees, of which we shall speak hereafter. Red, or Slippery Elm. This tree is a rapid grower in rich, loamy soil. It is a coarse and straggling tree when standing alone, but gains material fast in crowded forests if in proper soil. The timber is coarse as the appearance of the tree itself, but is quite durable, and posts made out of it if charred by fire at the part which is to be set in the ground, and a foot above, will last for a long time. The bark is used for medical purposes" and many trees are spoiled by those who strip it off in the spring,. The culture is easy and the same as that of White Elm. Linden, or Basswood. As an ornamental or shade tree, the Linden takes the front rank, but forests should never be entirely composed of it; still, when sprinkled among other species which have thin foliage, it is an excellent means of keeping the ground shaded. The seed ripens in October, and falls off soon after, although part of it remains on the branches all winter. It requires the same treatment as Maple seed. The Linden is very easy to cultivate, and hardy. It prefers a low situation, but grows in almost any soil. The seed should be soaked for forty-eight hours in hot water before sowing* There are several varieties of Linden, but they all --45-- require the same treatment. In Europe they have two distinct kinds, call- ed the Summer and Winter Linden; the latter growing on high mountains and forming, in Russia, a lofty tree. It deserves as good a place in our forests as any other tree. Hackberry. Mention is made of this tree because it is a native and �quite common in our remaining forests, and not on account of its usefulness, since it possesses very little value, and so much the less, as it requires a soil where much better trees can grow. Red Beech. The Beech is the tree best fitted to grow on mountains, but thrives best on those of middling height in temperate climates. It does not require so deep a soil as the White or Burr Oak, but is hardly ever found in sandy soil, unless this is at the same time very rich, preferin"- that which is composed of basalt, graywake and clay slate. The seed of the Beech like that of the Oak, ripens in October, and can be gathered only on sunny days when the air is dry, as, like the Chestnut, it does not drop when the air is moist. It can be preserved during the winter in boxes of dry board or saw-dust, and should be sown in the nursery early in the spring and the plants well shaded, as this tree likes shade when young. White Beech. While the trunk of the Red Beech has a smooth cylindrical form, the White Beech, or Hophornbeam, has one which is uneven and very much turned and twisted. It grows in almost any kind of soil, but prefers low, rich land. Swamps, and hot, sandy soils are detested by it; neither will it thrive on high mountains. The ripening and treatment of the seed is the same as that of the Ash, except that it can be more easily obtained. As it is hard to clean it on account of the long seed-wings attached to it, the best way is to thresh it with flails and winnow it like beans. It lies in the ground a year before sprouting. Locust in varieties. The common, or yellowish green Locust is the most common. It grows to a considerable height, with a diameter of trunk, at a point three feet from the ground, of from two to three feet, but it will generally be cut down when fit for railroad ties or even fence posts. It thrives best in a rich sandy soil or loam, but will grow in the poorest and dryest, although very slowly. The Locust is generally considered an ornamental, rather than a shade tree, and on account of the beautiful fragrance of its blossoms, which appear in bunches, like grapes, is a desirable tree to plant near residences. We generally find it along country roads and upon dry ridges. It has the bad habit of sending suckers from its roots all over the ground and is haul to handle, on account of its thorny or prickly branches. Of late the borer is attacking it extensively and injuring its growth as well as the value of --46-- the timber. If grown among other trees their attacks may be diminished and probably entirely destroyed. The seed ripens late in autumn and remains for a long time on the tree, sometimes during the whole winter. In some places where it grows we can find a plenty of young plants, and if the seed is sown in early spring, after saturating it for forty-eight hours in cow-juice, the plants are ready for setting out the spring thereafter. White Birch. This tree is very valuable, for the fact alone that it will grow where few others will do well, but it has the peculiarity of not thriving in a soil formed of limestone or basalt, which is suited to so many species; otherwise it will grow in the poorest soil as well as the richest, but of course with different results. On high mountains and in pure sand, it grows better than any other tree. In stiff clay, however, it will not grow. White Birch trees will form forests by themselves, but as their foliao-e is thin, they do not improve the soil upon which they grow, and besides, their leaves do not easily decay, and being light are blown away by the wind. The ripening of the seed is very uneven, as the process continues through the months of August, September and October. It falls off as soon as ripe. The cylinders which contain it, fall to pieces, or part into single seeds immediately thereafter and must therefore be watched. After it has been'well dried it should be rubbed between the hands and sifted. It heats easily, therefore it must be spread out thinly on the floor while being dried. It is good for two years, but it is best to sow it the same fall in which it is obtained. Black Birch. This variety seeks a more moist soil, along the banks of rivers, but otherwise is the same as White Birch. Red Birch prefers the same localities as the foregoing: culture the same, also. Common Alder. This tree requires a loose, moist, rich soil, with a low, sheltered and warm situation. It grows well in marshes and swamps, when these are not covered with stagnant water, and even flourishes although the roots may extend somewhat into running water. It produces an abundance of wood, if rightly treated. If it is cut down close to the roots, they will send out a multitude of young shoots, and the cutting can be repeated every fifteen years, the mother stump being able to send out new shoots for a longer time than any other of which we have knowledge. The cutting should be done in the winter, as the stump is loosened too much by the operation if the ground is not frozen. But if the marshes and swamps could be drained and converted into good land, it would not be profitable for the Alder alone to flourish there. It is a fact, however, that these trees, after they are well started, will naturally make the soil sweeter and even fit it for the production of more valuable wood. --47-- The seed ripens in November and falls off in December, and in general, as the trees grow near running water, it can be fished out in the spring at places in the stream where obstacles on the surface have prevented its floating away. It must be sown as soon as dry. Northern, or White Alder. This tree will in a manner, contrary to the Common Alder, grow on high land and upon lofty mountains, where it sometimes is a forerunner for better kinds which follow, and which would, without this pioneer, not succeed in gaining a foothold at such exposed points. Trees so easily raised deserve more attention than is given them, as they furnish us with the means for gaining our chief ends. Chestnuts. The Chestnut requires a medium rich soil, but will not stand a very low tempearture or exposure, and is therefore a tree for warmer latitudes than the western prairies. The wood is valuable and the nuts well known and appreciated all over the country. These ripen in October and fall off on dry, warm days, and can be found anywhere in the market under the name of Chestnuts. Plant in the spring in a warm situation and transplant among other trees when about a foot high. The Sycamore or White Wood. Is also found in warmer climates than the wetsern prairies. It is shade and ornamental as well as a .forest tree, and grows to large dimensions with a fine trunk rising to the height of sixty feet without a branch. The tiee is speckled on account of the scaling off of the bark. The leaves and seeds hang on long pedicles, the seed forming a prickly ball which ripens in October. The tree grows rapidly and is easily cultured. It prefers moist places along running streams, but is sometimes seen standing alone in fields and doing well. The Tulip Tree or Yellow Poplar. Like the former this tree flourishes in the Eastern states. It is very stately, with a candle like trunk and growing to a height far above ihe majority of our native trees. It has flowers of the size and shape of a tulip, of a greenish white color. More attention should be paid to its preservation where the soil and climate permit its culture. It is the finest tree in the forests of the Eastern states, reaching as it does a height of nearly one hundred feet with an immense diameter, its trunk being without branches for, over seventy feet. It chooses rich bottom lands, but I have seen it on high hills, though not reaching the dimensions just specified. The south side of hills should be selected fcr its growth and as much shelter as possibe given it from the weather, by other trees. Upon poor soil the top soon dies. The wood is rather light. b. EVERGREENS OR CONIFERS. The Conifers have only eggs and anthers. The seeds are not covered and for this reason they are styled Gymnospermae or naked seeded plants. We shall divide them into several classes, a. Such as have only one leaf --48- (needle) in a sheath. Among these are the White Spruce and the Norway- Spruce. "White Spruce. This tree requires, in order to do well, a deep rich soil and a deep subsoil. It grows far up the sides of mountains, yet not as high as the Noiway Spruce. Like the red Beech it reaches its best and most profitable age at 120 years and keeps in a healthy condition until 160 years old. On favorable soils' it will grow to the height of 150 feet and contains more bulk to the same diameter at breast height than the Norway Spruce as its trunk is convex. It may be renewed in the same manner as the Red Beech, as long as we have to deal with existing forests of this kind, but as this is not likely we shall only see how it can be raised from the seed. The young trees during the first two years of their exislance will bear to be quite heavily shaded, after which period they need more light, but again, after side branches have formed, they will endure a heavy shading and presure from overgrown wood, and when liberated will revive more fully than any other species of evergreen^under like circumstances. As the relative strength and elasticy of the White Spruce is less than that of the Norway Spruce, beams made from it will not support great weights, but it serves excellenty for bearing them when in an upright posi- tion, as in the case of pillars or shipmasts. The lumber made from it is. We excellent. also obtain from it the so called Strassburger turpentine. The seed ripens in September and October and falls off together with the cone, leaving only its axis around which the seed and scales grow upon the tree. It is therefore necessary to watch its ripening and break off the cones before they fall to pieces, or else to spread blankets under the trees upon which it may fall. Six bushels of cones will give one bushel of seed with the seedwings on it. This seed must be spread out very thin on a floor in an airy loft to prevent its heating. The method of its culture will be shown and explained in the following pages. Norway Spruce. This is the most useful of all the evergreens, as far as building material is concerned and should receive most willing attention and culture. It is the mountain tree. It likes a damp atmosphere and evaporetes a great amount of moisture. Alexander von Humboldt by ex- periment found that an area well and fully covered by a forest ot these trees evaporate four times as much water as an equal area covered by water -- itself. Its proper home is on the mountains more strictly speaking, on -- their northern sides the sunny side, being warmer and dryer, which causes too great an evaporation. This tree will even grow well on the sea shore, but not in marshes un- der stagnant wrter; still as it sends the roots directly under the surface, it can be made to grow on places quite low and moist when rightly treated and cultivated as described farther on. It will not flourish on hot sand or --49-- stiff clay, but is suited with; a soil of medium richness, and when well started will enrich the bottom for its own benefit. In too rich a soil it becomes affected with red rot, and from this cause will soon die, from which arises the idea that it will not live long in this country. The seed ripens in October and November and drops from the cones the following spring, and if the weather is fine and warm, during sun-shine in the winter. The collection of the cones can begin in the latter part of November and be continued during the winter. The later this is done, the easier will the seed drop from them if warmed by a hot stove or in the sun on dry days in spring. In Europe they have regular factories where the seed is emptied from the cones. The seed can be left in the cones, in which condition its germinating power will last for seven or eight years, while of the clear seed when well cured, but fifty per cent, will be good at the end of five years. Kocky Mountain Spruce. "We would advise the trying of this tree in mountainous places on a squall scale, and if success is promised, it would be a blessing for those parts of the country where other species refuse to grow, and fine timber is scarce. i Southern Yellow Pine. It is easy to say, "plant the Yellow Pine," but whether the attempt will be successful, is another question. In low, sandy places it would pay to make a trial, but its culture on a large scale, may prove a means of wasting money, as to knowledge, we have had no experience with it upon our western prairies. Still, as it sends a top root to considerable depth, it may grow well there. As we have heretofore 'stated, its timber is in the greatest demand, for which reason we should adopt all possible means for cultivating b, and if it is transplanted from the seed-bed at the age of two years, and three plants set in each place, I am confident of success. European Yellow Pine. This depends for its value more than most trees, upon the condition of the place in which it grows, and upon its age, when put to use. It blossoms in May and the seed ripens in eighteen months thereafter, in the month of October, dropping from the cones the following spring. While picking off the ripening cones in winter, we fre- quently find three different kinds ; the ripe ones, the young ones just developing, which will be matured by the following October, and lastly, the old ones, which have shed their seed and closed again. The process of procuring the seed is the same as with the Norway Spruce, &c. Instructions relating to its cultivation will be given fur- ther on. Black Austrian Pine. Upon the Austrian Pine the needles are from three to five inches long, and cones from two to three inches long. In other respects it is the same as the species just mentioned. --50-- The Weymouth, or White Pine. (Needles, five in one sheath cones, 4 spindle shaped.) Should be treated like the Yellow Pine. European Larch. This is a summer green tree, but it belongs to the Conifers. It is the tree for the mountain regions, and will grow at an altitude as high as the Norway Spruce. It flourishes on the heights of the Alps, and in the northern part of Eussia is found in greater abundance than other trees. It is now cultivated in all parts of Germany, either in forests by itself, or sprinkled among Spruce, Yellow Pine and Birch. It not only grows on mountains, whose sunny side it likes the best, but notably in almost any situation, except upon heavy clay or wet soils. But it prefers a deep, fresh and rich sandy loam and lime-stone formation. As the wood is soft and spongy when young, exposure to heavy winds causes it to grow crooked, and it is therefore best to mix with pine trees on low, or level ground, or with spruce on mountains or high hills. The seed ripens in October and November, but the cones should not be gathered until February, as it drops from them better if picked late. Two kinds of cones are found upon the tree ; those of a weather-beaten gray color, being the old ones of last year, from which the seed has been emptied. As the resin, adhering to the cones, melts when exposed to high temperatures and thus renders it impossible for them to open and allow the shedding of the seed, we must expose them to a medium temperature until such time as they are fully opened, after which a good shakino- is required before the seed is released. Good seed is dear, and in no case will more than 50 per cent, of it germinate. The timber of the Larch differs, according to the situation in which it grows, that from mountains, and from trees growing singly, beino- the best and hardest. In this latter case it differs essentially from the Spruce, whose wood is hardest when growing in dense forests. Red, and White Cedar. Of these two varieties the Bed Cedar is the most valuable, and wherever possible, and the soil suitable should be rais- ed and nursed. It prefers a stony, but rich soil near the banks of rivers but will grow, even if slowly, upon hills and in different soils, especially when mixed with other trees of equal growth. Under ordinary circum- stances it is found of a height of from sixty to eighty feet, and of a diam- eter of from two to three feet. It grows quite slowly on poor soils, but on such as are well adapted to it, with considerable rapidity, while it lives and remains sound to a great age. 9 The White Cedar requires for its growth, nearly the same kinds of soil as the Red; still, it will thrive in marshes, if they have originated by springs. It does well, also, upon hillocks which are quite dry. If the ground around either species just named, is loosened up, to receive the seed we can take an abundance of young plants from the natural growth for --51-- further transplanting without any additional expense. During the fall, or autumn the Robins will eat a large amount of seed, and while so doing will let enough drop to seed the places under each tree with half digested seeds eaten before at other places. The Common or White Cedar does not attain any great dimensions, and is mainly used when large enough for fence posts and railroad ties. The preparation of the soil for forest trees is different in places, where trees hee been already grown and have been lately harvested than in an entirely unbroken prairie, as in the first case, it is only necessary to make the holes during the summer and plant in the following spring; while in the second case, the sod should be turned during the tore part of summer and cross plowed and sub-soil plowed in the following spring and a crop raised upon it (potatoes or a like crop preferred.) If potatoes have been raised no plowing in the spring is required as a harrow will smooth the land well enough for the planting of the young plants of forest trees. If Spruce is to become the leading timber, it becomes necessary to plant some hardy, deciduous trees between the former, for shelter and protection of the Spruce, which can be cut back when shading too much, and finally when the Spruce needs all the room and protects itself the deciduous trees can be cut off altogether. In case the Spruce is a fauilre, the deciduous trees can remain and form the forest. If the plants are four feet apart each way and every alternate plant is a Spruce, we have the choice above men- tioned. CHAPTER XIV. MIXED FORESTS. The trees of which mention has been made in Chapter XIII are only a small percentage of the many kinds which flourish in this country, but the others are only to be found in limited sections. -- For the prairie states they will be sufficient to answer all purposes, and even if the first attempt to cultivate them be failures, the people should not become discouraged. Planting trees on the prairie where they are exposed to so many unfavorable and damagaing influences, is a task, the ac- complishment of which requires skill and also the means for doing the work in a manner which shall assure success from the beginning. Besides the power to meet disappointments with courage is requisite, together with a determination to persevere until suceess shall finally be attained. Experience is the mother of wisdom. It must be conceded that most farmers who come to the prairie and take up land on tree claims have neither experience in the culture of trees, nor even theoretical knowledge of hoW to plant them. It is no wonder then if failure is the result, and as a natural consequence disappointment, followed by a neglect of tree planting and breaking of the contract which has been made with the government. The idea of so many tree planters that trees will accommodate them- selves to the soil instead of selecting those kinds for which land and situa- tion are suited, quite often leads to failure. For home use the raising ot various kinds of fcaber is without doubt desirable as well as profitable to the farmer, as he can obtain from his own land any kind of timber which he may need. In planting he may take such species as will come to maturity at nearly the same age, or else those from which he may derive a benefit by cutting them down to thin out his grove in the course of its growth, so that the remaining trees may not be over- --53-- crowded. In the beginning he must plant so that some trees ot each sort may remain at maturity, or so that while some kinds have disappeared during the growth of the grove, the sjjecies preferred may remainat the end. Set out the plants four feet apart each way, and in time as they become crowded every alternate row, and in the remaining rows take every second tree, so that they are seperated from each other by a space of eight feet on all sides. The first planting must be done in such a way that the most valuable species shall remain after the rest have been cut down. In doing this work we must always bear in mind that all kinds of trees are not fitted to grow in the same forest together, but only such as attain nearly the same size and arrive at maturity at nearly the same age. The following will do well together : White Oak and Red Beech. Maple, Ash, Elm and White Beech, (hophornbeam.) * Norway Spruce and White Fir or Spruce. Yellow Pine and European Larch. Yellow Pine and Norway Spuce. Norway Spruce and Larch, &c. It is much better to have forests composed of several kinds of trees as are suited to grow together than to have them made up of but one species, because different kinds draw their nourishment from different substances and places, one deeper from the earth and another from near the surface. It is therefore evident that more trees will flourish upon a given area of land, when so mixed, than when all take their sustainance from the same layer of the soil. In the planting of trees in places which they have in the future to oc- cupy, the advise to the farmer is, not to undertake too much at one time. It is better to do well and thoroughly what is done, than to fail of success by overdoing. The planting of five acres in the beginning is a great task for one season. Taking for granted that the soil intended for the purpose has been cul- tivated at least the year before and that if possible potatoes have been rais- ed upon it, we can begin tree planting in the Spring as soon as the frost leaves the ground and the ground is dry enough to be worked without packing or sticking. The commencement should be made on that side of the designated piece of land which, when the forest shall have grown, will be the most protected from the prevailing winds. Having provided ourselves with a gardenline and a spade we may go out to our work. To save repeated and unnecessary measurements we should have attached to the line at proper intervals strips of red flannel or other material which will show plainly, to mark the places for the trees in the rows when it is stretched out. It is advisable that the marks be at 3 distance of two feet from each other, and that the rows be set four feet apart. The rows should run from East to West, or if the ground is hilly, with the hill. Having taken a number of, plants from the nursery, by undermining the roots, so as not to injure them in the least, and put them into a vessel filled with water, which is thinly mixed with loam, the planting may commence. There are several reasons why it is better to set the plants at as small a distance apart as two feet in the rows. In case some should die enough will be left to fill the space, or if several in succession fail, others can be taken from the place where all grew originally, with a ball of earth, so as not to disturb the roots, and the vacant places supplied. But should all the plants grow, it is an easy matter to transplant during the second sjwing, those which are not needed to the adjacent land and thereby enlarge the grove without the necessity of bringing any from a greater distance, even if they are obtainable. The planting of small plants. At each mark press the spade into the earth to nearly the full length of the blade and bend it forward and back- ward, then cross the cut, and driving it into the ground, bend it as before* Let an attendant then hold the plant in the opening thus made, to the depth at which it stood in the nursery, or one inch deeper, pull out the spade and bring the soil to the plant with the foot, trampling it down with enough pressure to fasten the roots to the bottom. The planting, especially with Evergreens, can be done in another way. The soil may be loosened with an auger, similar to a post-auger, and in the center of the place, a hole may be made with a sharp stick, into which the roots may be set and filled around with earth. In different localities, trees require different treatment. Common sense teaches that the way of preparing the soil in the cul- ture of trees on the level prairie must differ from that needful upon moun- tains, or in low, marshy ground. For, while in high and dry places, the aim must be to retain all the moisture and water gained by rain-falls, ex- actly the opposite course must be pursued in localities where there is gen- We erally too much water. must also take into account, both the top soil and the sub-soil on the various places, and by these more especially by the latter, be guided as to how to prepare a bed for the plants as well as what sorts to select. Upon high and dry places it sometimes becomes necessary to raise a crop of otherwise valueless shrubs or trees, which grow easily, and do not depend much upon the soil, in order to create some vegetable matter and protection for the benefit of more valuable trees, which shall follow. Sumach, Hazel. Blackberry, Birches, vines, etc., all serve as pioneers for better plants. If sucn a growth is present, it must, in planting trees, be carefully preserved and the plants set between the shrubs, disturbing as little as possible, the original growth ; as in such places, without the --55-- shelter and protection derived from it, tree culture would be a failure. It is only needful to give the trees newly planted enough air and to keep them from being smothered by the wild brush. A naked hill or mountain where the soil is good, should be cultivated by degrees. Starting at the foot it should be plowed around to the extent of the land of which it is desired to make use of. Two furrows being turned against each other, and this process continued, keeping a distance of five feet from one furrow to that of the other, until enough ground has been plowed to accommodate those trees which shall be first planted. From the fact that the lower part of the hill or mountain contains the best soil and is least exposed to sun and wind, the trees composing this girdle can be of kinds superior to those which will grow on the more elevated portion, and as these trees in a short time will have grown enough to afford some shelter, the process of planting can be carried into the higher regions. As two furrows have been drawn together, holes should be made for the tree plants between the two, or if the nature of the soil will allow, the planting can be done by the aid of the spade in the manner before described. The plowing should be done in June and the planting in the spring following. If the furrows are made as nearly level as possible, the water will be caught by them and sink into the ground to the roots of the young trees, while the earth which has been thus drawn together, will prevent its quick evaporation. The water will also carry with it to the roots, some of the soluable nourishing substances which are contained in the earth, and the growth of the plants will be promoted. On hills which are too much exposed to the sun and contain very poor soil, some easy-growing trees may be planted as shelter for the better kinds. But always see if the soil is deep or shallow, and accordingly se- lect the species of trees. Where stagnant water stands, neither grass or trees be of any value. In many cases an entire, or at least a partial drainage can be accomplished, and the soil improved. But as few species will thrive in a sour soil, we must adopt means to improve it and thus insure success. The following is a good way to proceed: Starting at the lowest part of the ground, dig a ditch through the middle after which the places for the trees should be marked out on both sides and a flat hill formed at each from earth taken from this ditch. These hills should be separated by a distance of two and one-half feet in rows five feet apart. The top part ol the ditch, or sod, should be laid separately by each hill, for future use. The above work should be done during the summer and before the ground freezes up in the fall. After the whole swamp has been divided up --56-- in this manner, it is ready for the action of the frost and for planting in the following spring. Spruce plants should be used. In each hill make an opening quite wide and deejD, and place in it the Toots of three jjlants, fill with rich soil, pressing it lightly around them with the fingers, then lay the sods which were deposited at each hill, grassside