Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29

that trees can be made to grow in this re-
gon.
Some forest trees are at home in widely
different soils and climates. Other trees
can exist in certain kinds of soil only or in
certain climates or surroundings. If not
dependent upon these conditions for their
whole life, they so for the early part
of it. The absence of one of these factors,
as. for example, an evenly moist soil,
protection against hot drying wind curing
the early critical period of a trees life,
means the failure Of the species to extend
unaided over areas where otherwise 1t
m. hit become established In attempting
new to establish forest trees in dry treeless
regions the chief problem is to overcome
these unfavorable conditions.
Desirable Seeds.
The kinds Of seeds desirable to collect will
be determined largely by the purpose of the
planting and by the kinds of trees adapted
10 the climate and soil at hand. For wood
ed regions the seed should be collected from
as many of the timber species as are avail
able. These may be represented now only
by scattered individuals In the fence cor
ners or elsewhere. They are adapted TO
the region and require no experiments TO
determine their fitness. Among such trees
will be found oaks, walnuts, hickories. ash
es, Gins, sycamores. beech, naples. cherry,
tulip tree, pines, frs spruces, hemlocks,
and larches. Most Of them require at least
seventy-fve to one hundred years or more
to reach maturity; but much useful timber
will be produced by them in thirty to fifty
years. To these must be added some fast
ar-growing kinds, such as will give useful
timber in ten TO thirty years. Among these
are red oak, chestnut, red and silver maple.
boxelder hardy and common catalpa, black
and honey locust, cottonwood. aspen, large
tooth aspen and black willow.
For the treeess regions the small number
of species available for the planter Cotton
woods willows boxelder. green ash, elms.
etc.) may be supplemented by seeds from
the timbered states. The choice of these
must be based upon some knowledge OF
the soil and climate required by each spe-
cies. For example, the bald cypress of
southern swamps. or any other strictly
southern tree will not endure the cold of
a Minnesota winter. There are, however,
many valuable timber trees that grow nat
urally from Canada to the gulf states, and
several extend even from the Atlantic TO
the Pacific coast Among desirable trees.
native in the Rock mountains, the yellow
pine. red or Douglas fir. Rocky mountain
Juniper and white fir have already been
successfully grown in the plains region far
outside their natural range. or eastern
trees the white. red and Jack pines. white
spruce red cedar. white birch, sycamore.
black cherry and black walnut have been
established in the same region. A few
trees from this list taken with the avail
able local trees, will give the prairie plant
err an assortment large enough for all prac-
teal purposes.
Time for Making Collections.
The time for collecting forest tree seeds
varies from April to November, according
to the kind and the region in which they
are grown: few pines with cones which
open tardily. such as the Jack pine, pitch
pine. lodgepole line. &c., may. except for
the cole to which the collector Is subjected,
bs secured during the winter. 1t is pos
sib.e also during the winter to collect the
seeds OF boxelder. black and honey locust.
Kentucky coffee tree. ashes, catalpas AMI
others, since a large part of the crop may
often cling to the trees for several months.
Care should be taken not to gather sect
until 1t Is thoroughly ripe. This may often
b more or less dadacult to determins; bur