The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-04-23

concerning trees. Many of the people
VINO plant trees in South Dakota arr
IRON the EASTERN or southern state.
where the conditions to success il
Tree planting are widely different
from those found in South Dakota
ana other states OF the prairie North.
west. Not much argument is now
needed in the prairie region to con
vince people that they should plant
trees, shrubs and flowers. No prairie
nome Is complete without ~gardonira
In some form, even if it be only a fevs
current bushes in the back yard, o.
SNOWFALL OF Spiraea Van Houttci on
the front lawn.
Some good people that I know arc
INCLINED to look upon South Dakota
as a place to make money only and
lhat as soon as possible they will
go elsewhere to spend their money
ana to have a fine garden. After Wis
ltlng many countries of the world,
many OF them with a more severe eli
mate and less rainfall than in South
dakota, | insist that we can have
beautiful grounds with trees, flowers
and shrubs, right here in South Da-
Nota. 1t is true, however, that certain
rules>must be observed before success
can be obtained. Some of these essen
tials are as follows:
CD Small trees are more ant to
live than large ones, and are also bet-
ter rooted, and with suitable culti-
Vat1on and protection in the early
years will make good trees with less
loss than when large size trees are
planted. The planting of large trees
with the branches cut back SO the.
trees look like poles, are not SO apt
to live and do we'll as would smaller
trees. l know of some good sized
Fins that were set along the street as
small trees five to[six feet in height,
that were we'll cultivated and the
tops cut back in June of each year to
induce the formation of a proper bal
ance top. A compact head is now for
med as a result, instead of the long
naked branches usually seen on Films
and which are apt to split down in
strong winds.
CD Above all we must choose
trees native to South Dakota or from
regions with similar climate. A tree
or two from the far south is some
line planted by way of curiosity, as
the foliage is interesting on the
young shoots when they sprout up
again from the ground. Most people,
however, want something thai will
live without freezing back and which
is absolutely hardy. Some of the best
trees such as the Ash, Elm and Hack |
berry are native not only to South |
Dakota, but far to the south and
e'st These trees. vary in their re-
slstence to drouth and could accord-l
lhs TO the locality whence they came.
Immense losses have been experience
ed in this state romsplanting.south-
ern trees or southern seed. At Brook
ings trees raised from native Kansas
seed killed to the ground
the first winter, plainly showing they
We're inferior in hardness as COM
pared with the native Box Elder.
The Choice of Trees.
This is indeed. a difficult question
and is to some extent, a personal one
However, the general experience will
be in favor of the following trees.
CD The blackberry: The blackberry
and the White Elm are closely relat-
ed, but the blackberry has not been
cultivated as widely owing to the
scarcity of seed. The birds are veryI
fond of The sweet berries which hang
upon the trees during the winter. The
has the leaves divided I'M
equally by the mid rib, while the
elm has the mid rib running
directly through the middle of the
leaf.
In some ways the blackberry is bet
ter than the white elm since it is
more compact and graceful in habit,
1oes not attain as large size, and en-
dures drouth even on high dry land.
1t is a common native tree through
nut South Dakota. But since it is a
native of Ontario, Canada, west to
and Dakota, south to Geo
rGia and Texas great care should be
exercised in getting the trees from
the prairie Northwest. 1t is especially
along the Missouri river
South Dakota.
At one time in western Minnesota
700 blackberry from one of the At
coast states were planted; they
practically a total loss while the
blackberry, planted at the
same time, were OF course hardy.
CD The White Elm is very com-
mon along the lakes and streams
South Dakota and is one
Of the best trees for street, park and
1t has strong, tough limbs
resist severe winds, but it is
often necessary to trim the young
shoots back late in June, especially
is standing in open exposure, toll
the tree to form a denser and
more compact head and prevent it
from becoming top heavy. Michaux,
a famous French botanist who travel
ed widely t%hroughout North America
more than a century ago, used the
word vegetable" Units largest sence
when he wrote, The American white
elm is the most magnificent yeget-
able of the North Temperate Zone. II
(3) Green Ash issnative through
out the state and is eStremely frought
resistant on dry Upland, flourishing
land where cottonwoods fail. Al-E
rather slow III growth, it Il
one OF the most valuable trees for
the lawn and grove. The Red Ash
very closely resembles the Green Ash
and the two are often indistingulsn-
able, but both are good for planting.
we add the caution TO set the1