The Dickinson press., 1905-03-25
Plsat Trees This spssss.
BY !. H. WORST.

From experiments made at the Agri-l
cultural College it has been demonstrat;
ed that elm, white and green ash, soft
maple and box elder are perfectly hardy
in North Dakota. The soft maple, how
ever, should be planted in the midst Of
other trees. There are other hardy
varieties of trees, such as the haskberry,
Carolina poplar. cottonwood, ETC., but
the two latter, while they do we'll in
single rows, should never be planted in
large groves. They require too much
sunlight to thrive where planted thickly
and consequently die young.
Suitable trees for planting forests can,
be obtained from reliable n%urserymen
for from $500 to $500 per thousand.
When planting young trees their roots
should never be allowed to become dry
for a single moment.
Before planting trees the ground
should be deeply plowed and thoroughly
dragged. The trees should be set two
feet apart in the low. Any number Of
combinations of trees can be made but
the following is as good az any:
Tree No. J, elm; 2, box elder; 3, white
ash; 4, box elder; 5, soft maple; s, box
elder; 7, green ash; 8, box elder; 7, elm
again, repeating the above order through
out the grove.
This arrangement locates an elm
every Is feet with a soft maple between
each two elms, for permanent trees.
The box elders act as nurse trees and
tend to force an upward growth of all
the others, but should be gradually
thinned out when they begin to crowd
the other trees. Later the ash also can
be thinned out. This will leave elms
and soft naples alternating every eight
feet.
The elm unquestionably makes the
best permanent trees, but if desirable
the trees may be so set that after thin.
uing out the nurse trees there may be
left an elm. a green ASH soft maple
and a white ash every eight feet. This
arrangement would still admit of cutting
out every other tree in the course Of
time. After that a young tree should be
set by the stump of every tree cut down
to perpetuate the forest.
The grove should receive frequent
shallow cultivation for several years OF
until the shade and leaves will prevent
the growth of grass and weeds and also
preserve the ground in a loose mois,
condition such as may be found in q
natural forest.
The best time to plant trees is this
spring. The time to order trees o.
nurserymen is right away.
The tree grove should lie located Sc
that it will prove a valuable shelter fol
buildings as we'll as a thing Of beauty
and profit. A row Of golden Russian
willows planted thickly for a hedge
about six rods beyond the tree planta
tion. will protect the young trees from
snow drifts, while The intervening space
will make an excellent vegetable garden
and fruit orchard.
For the labor and expense involved
no better investment can be made thai
that of setting out tree plantations TO
shelter belts, for future fuel supply, ant
for identifying the landscape and i'm
proving the climatic conditions of tn
state. No farm should have less thai
five acres of growing trees and tn
larger farms should have ten OF ever
twenty acres. A general revival Of tre'
planting should be inaugurated imme
diately over the entire state. From
present indications the soil will be il
excellent condition this spring for plant
ing trees.