The Ward County independent., 1921-04-28

Having been requested to write
something about the planting OF trees
and shrubs as a preliminary TO the
campaign for cleaning up and beau.
tifying Minot, I have decided that
brief Discussion of "what to plant"
rather than chow to plant" would be
of more value. The question OF how
to plant can be solved by recourse
to many books, nursery catalogs ana
government bulletins but not very
much has been written on the sub.
iect of what varieties are best suited
to our very exacting climatic condl-
tions. g
So we will dismiss the matter or
how to plant by saying that no trees
or shrubs will give satisfaction With
, out thorough preparation OF the soil,
which must be rich without beng
heavy and must be we'll drained and
we'll watered. A heavy watering two
or three times week is much better
than light watering every day. In
selecting trees and shubs always try
to nrocure those with many fine roots
or rootlets. Plants do not take their
nourishment direct from the soil by
means of the large, heavy roots but
through the root hairs or fine rootlets.
For size do not select trees over two
inches in diameter or shrubs over three
or four feet in heighth and prune back
the branches to conform 10 tne loss
Of roots caused by transplanting. IN
extremely dry weather mulch your
newly planted trees and shrubs win
light covering Of lawn clippings or
well-rotted manure. Never put ma
nure next to the roots but dig the
holes deep enough to permit aoout
eight inches Of manure and then Tour
inches of fine, rich soil before setting
the plant.
The selection Of varieties OF trees
for Minot or vicinity is very limited.
In spite of all the recommendations
of nurserymen and those who have had
success with some certain variety, 1t IS
safe to say that the American white
elm and the green ash are the only
trees That will give full satisfaction
to the beginner. They are native To
this region, hardy and fairly long
lived. There is no superior to the
elm tree. The ash is less desirable as
It does not come into leaf before May
18th as a rule, and sometimes not un-
til June. The first frosts take OIL the
leaves. too. The elm is the best LOT
street or roadside planting as At
branches high and has a wide spread,
when matured. The box elder and
various poplars grow fast and are
fairly hardy but they are short-lved
trees. easily broken and the box elder
harbors many insects.
Other trees that can be grown put
require special care or knowledge are
the linden or basswood, blackberry,
mountain ash, white birch, weeping
elm and silver maple. Unless you
are prepared to go to extra expense,
and to bear disappointment, would
recommend that you confine yourself
to the elm and ash. The burr oak is
a fine native tree along the Mouse
river but it cannot be transplanted
with success.
When it comes to shrubs there is a
much wider selection and when one
pats used to the various kinds there
IS a great deal of pleasure in arrang-
inp groups and watching their prog
ress. Shrubs are different from trees
in that they have many shoots from
the ground instead of single shoot
or trimb and as a rule they. do not
grow over fifteen feet. in heighth.
). Some trees have shrubby growths and
some shrubs are really small trees.
For convenience we shall divide
shrubs into three classes; Those
suitable for hedges, those used as spe-
cimen or single plants and those vall-
able for grouping or placing IN shrub,
berries. In discussing shrubs we shall
avoid all scientific or technical names
and use only the common name.
Three varieties are very useful Tor
hedge planting. They are the car
apana or Siberian pea, the Russian
olive and the Tartarian honeysuckle
The caragana and the Russian olive
make attractive as well as good pro.
tective hedges and are most desirable
for planting around yards in lieu OF
fences. They will stand good prun-
inc each spring as their value is in
their foliage and not in the bloom.
doubt If there is better all.ar0und
h shrub for North Dakota than the Tar.
tartan ltoneysuckle. 1t can be used
in hedge work, as a specimen plant
or in combination with other shrubs
It Is Of good form, very hardy, per.
sistent and attractive in foliage anc
beautiful in it's blossoming. The
IlOWSlS lSSASV 1AOAA NSSP kA'AAA ~ go
white. Any of the above three shrubs
can be seen at their best at Riverside
Park. We use the honeysuckle il
hedge, as specimen plant and in the
strawberries. The common lilac, un
der certain conditions, is valuable fol
hedge planting.
For specimen plants should recon
men the honeysuckle above mention
ed, the Persian lilac, the Spirea (Vol
Houftei, sometimes enormously call
ed the bride wreath) the Towering
crab and the Towering plum. TIT
last named is an unright little tre.
which is almost entirely covered witt
magnificent shell pink flowers abou
an inch in diameter. These flowers
arrive before the leaves and are on'
Of the earlier harbingers Of spring
The plant does not bear fruit. Tht
Compass cherry which does bear fruit
also makes a very beautiful specimen
plant.
We are exceedingly fortunate il
having many hardy shrubs available