Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-04-03
SHADE TREES.
The Variety Best Adapted to Our Gil
n,ate-LOmbardy Poplar the Most De.
Sirable KApid.GrOWlng Tree-Etc.

mate-LOmbardy Poplar the Most De.
sirable Rapid.Growing Tree-Etc.
This being the best time in the year
10 plant shade trees, many of our
house owners are discussing the mer-
It's of the various trees generally cul-
tivated for that purpose. The popu-
lar preference is of course for the
poplars, and OF that species the Lom-
hardy poplar is the best liked here
because of its rapid growth and the
ease with which it is planted.
Last year w. 7. Riley procured $50
cuttings of this poplar from Boise, and
planted them along the bitches in his
garden. Everyone Of them took root
and grew about foot. Seeing his
success, several of his neighbors CO.
tanned cuttings from him this spring,
and planted them-so that in a short
time there will be all of 800 Lom-
hardy poplars in full growth in this
city. 1t is no trouble to cultivate
them. All that is needed is to stick
the lower end of the cutting in the
ground, near a ditch, aud the tree will
grow. So with almost any variety of
poplar.
Butwhile the I.ombardy poplar is a
rapidly growing tree, its foliage is SO
dense as to materially darken streets
or avenues where it is planted. For
this reason it has ceased to be popular
in cities, where the streets are so mar
row that any dim;nution in the avail
able supply of air and sunlight is con-
sidered an irreparable loss. In Haley,
however, the Lombardy poplar will
be highly priced as a shade tree for
many years, for the very reason that
renders it unpopular in larger cities.
But the Lombardy is not the only
one among the poplars that's desirable
for stade. The balsam poplar, better
known in the West as the Balm OF
Gilead. is even more desirable than
the Lombardy, because of the pleasan,
fragrance given off by its buds in
spring, before the tame flowers are in
bloom. 1t grows wild in the Wood
River bottom, and an abundant sup.
ply of cuttings can be obtained al
most anywhere along the bank he
tween Haley and Bellevue. The
same may be said Of the quaker asp
The Balm of Gilead also requires
plenty of water to thrive. Its foliag'
is not so dense as that of the LON
hardy poplar, hence it is more sough
after where it is not desirable to ex
clude the sun and air, but light fuz;
which continually falls from it in sum
mer proves very annoying.
The cottonwood -. another we'll
known variety Of the poplar-was for
merly great favorite. 1t is of rapi'
growth, grows to the highth oiS0 fee
or more i'll Is to 25 years, and prove
good shade tree. But that is all
On the other hand, its wood \ entirel
useless, as it does not even make
good fire unless thoroughly seasoned
while at an early age it becomes tn
home of the bed-bug, the musquitt
and seemingly, of all other insect
Cottonwoods are now seldom plante
anywhere, and in many cities they al
even forbidden by ordinance.
The trees above mentioned a
t thrive in extreme northern latitude
within the temperate zone, aud WI
e doubtless prosper here. And the
> are really about all the desirable tre'
+ available here for rapid growth ar
d hardness.
A lady OF this city tried to raj
some oleanders, three years ago; b.
after two-and-a.half years OF fruitle
experiment, she abandoned it, as t
plants refused to grow out of.the pc
She has therefore concluded to Ike
them for house-plants. This Is pro
4 ably all that can be done with them
! this latitude. In the Southern Stat
however, the sweet oleander was lo
4 the one general favorite shade tr'
Is and whole cities were covered wi
N them. Galveston, for instance. The
?. street after street, and avenue aft
'r avenue was lined with trees Il
:. bloomed in spring and remained
;. bloom until fall. The citizens cot
Is leave home amid the frangrance