The following notes on the growth of the trees in the Agricultural College grounds are given as showing the action of different varieties under similar conditions. The trees were planted one and two years ago, having been shipped from Lake City, Minn., a town· on the Mississippi River. They were placed in what is destined to be the campus, and having been set in irregular groups, with a view to ultimate landscape effect, it was impossible to give them much cultivation. They were carefully planted, liberally mulched with coarse manure, and left with but little care until September last. The campus occupies the summit and slopes of a slight ridge, and being exposed to winds on all sides, the trees were so blown as to make holes at their bases, in many instances as much as six inches deep and three inches in diameter. In September the mulch was removed from the trees and the ground about them was firmly tamped, after which the mulch was replaced and the trees left for the winter

Keffer, C.A.

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeBulletins South Dakota State University AgriculturalExperiment Station11-1887Notes on the Growth of Trees in the CollegeGroundsC.A. KefferDakota Agricultural CollegeFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletinsThis Bulletin is brought to you for free and open access by the South Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station at Open PRAIRIE: OpenPublic Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bulletins by an authorizedadministrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, pleasecontact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationKeffer, C.A., "Notes on the Growth of Trees in the College Grounds" (1887). Bulletins. Paper 1.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/1j • IM[DAKOTA AGRIC�L TURAL COLLEGE[ �1.111'1. AND Experiment Station. Eu.lletin NO. l.. Nove:r.xl. "ber, 1.997. Department of Forestry and Horticulture. ' '1 Notes 011 the Growth of Trees in the College Grounds. l_,:;:_.,... ..... . - --PRFS STEAM PRINT, B-ROOKINGS, DAKOTA.-�-33f60 I Agtioultural Colleg� Jind Experi�entfa:Station of Da,kQta� Department qf Fa,re$try and Ho_rticulture. I ' NO�ES ON THE GROWTH OF TREES IN THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE on�u�DS. The following notes on th� grQ":th of the trQeS in the Agricultural C9Hege--­grounda are given as showing the aC,tion of different varieties under simil&T con· . 'ditions. The trees were plant¥ one and two years ago, having been shipp�from Lake City, Minn., a town· on the MissJssip:pi River. ·They were placed in 'what is destined to be· the campus, and h�ving been set in irr�ular groups, with a view to ultimate.landscape efftict, it was impossible to give them much cul�iv,.,tion. They were carefully planted, liberally mulched with coarse manure, and l,eft with but little care until September last. �he campus occupies the summit and slopes of a, slight ridge, and being exposed :to winds on all sides, tbe tr�es were so blown as to make holes at their bases, in many instances as much as six inches deep and three inches in diamete�. In Septeqi}i�r,. the IAu)ch_ W'tS. �ernoved. (�qm the tr� and the ground a.Lout them was firmly tamped, after 'Yhic1:1- the mulch was_ repl�ed al)d the tr�es left for the winter. The soil is th� usual black lQ,.,In of the_ prairi� with compact subsoil of y�llow clay, containing a little sanc,l .. One crop of wb_e�t h�d been takenfromtheifOl,lnd, the remainder having been br..oken,in June, l;>ac\eet in the fall and set to trees. in the spring. The land had b�n but poprly l)loweti for tbe wheat crop, so that the J t • 4 DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL OOLLEGE. entire pmt might be. considered new. About the only favorable condition for tree growth was the mulching. '.rhe early part of the season was rather dry, but copi­ous rains foll in At1gust, to the great beuefit, no doubt, of the trees. In the notes which follow, the figures given are the result of actual measure­mentli!, the longest leader that could be found on any tree of the variety having been measured. In most cases all estimate of average growth is given; this esti­mate was made after a careful examination of all the trees and may be considered reasonably accurate. The leaves of most of the trees having fallen when this bul­letin was prepared, the species of a few sorts could not be definitely determined. In such cases the genus ie giyen, followed by an interrogation point. _ Betula Alba. White Birch. The treeil of this variety; taken as a whole, have made better growth during the past season than any oth�rs on the collegegrounds except white willow. When planted, they averaged not more than four feet in height. The average growth of over thirty trees, located in different parts of the grounds, was more than a foot. The longest leader measured three feet one inch. No apparent difference in growth was observed betwe.en the ,trees on the top of knolls and those in lower grouod. Birch wood is now betng usea.:Vety: much in the manufacture offorniture, a large part of the so called "mahogany finished" furni­ture being stained birch. The foliage is healthy, ·and the graceful habit otthetree, with the white bark of its tru:nk, make it Yery ornamental. This, with the com­mercial valuE of its timber and its rapidity of growth, should commend it to plant­ers gene::."ally. Betufa Rlba, pendufa faciniata. Cut Leaved Birch. This is one of the most ornamental trees that will thrive in, Dakota .. The leaves are deeply cut and the long slender br-a,nches are quite pendulous after the trees have attained a height of sixteen feet, more or less. The few trees we haye did not make half as much growth as did the white birch. The longest top branch found measured nine mches. Betula. ? ,,ar. fol. purpui·ea. _Purple Leaved Birch. A number of small specimens, budded a foot from the ground on a dwarf species-probably f3. nana--have made scarcely any growth during the season, the beautifully tinted foliage not being able to stand the dry weather of this region. It cannot be re­commended. � Alnus glutino�a.(?) Alq.er. A dozen or morealdere in the r.ollege grounds passed throngh the last severe winter without injury, and made a fafr growth the past season several trees showing new wood ten inches long .. One leader measured one foot three inches in length. '.rhe alder is a fine ornamental tree wit.h foliage some­what resembling the �mall leave!'l of the hazelnut. It seldo� exceeds thirty feet in height and its wood _is not particu_la,rly useful; f�r law_:g planting, hp'Never, it should prOV6 a valuable �Ort. . . .. Nogundo aceroides. Box:Elder. 'This is one of the 'varietie�. n\'ost largely used in the planting of tree clairris. The trees Ori.the college grounds did not make a great growth last year, the longest shoot to11t1d meast1ring two feet two inches, whiie the averAge growth would ha,rdly exceed teh inches·( 'The species has· mad� a remarkable record under cultivation; and our' 'epecimeris, while they htive not equaled the white l::>iri;h in growth the past season, have been healthy and are evi-. dently in good conqit·iQn for work)le�t ;-spring, 'The ·oQ; elder is i;>rQQtiiQlf the ? BOTANICAL DEPARTM};NT. 5 to ghest of the soft wooded, rapid growing trees, aud for this reason it would make good live fence posts. Acer dasycarpum. Silver Leaf or Soft Maple. Only a few trees of this kind have made a good growth this year, most of them showing little more than a tuft of leaves. One had a leader two feet three inches long, but this was exceptional. The soft maple cannot be recommended for prairie culture because the wood is not tough enough to withstand the heavy winds. Its timber is no more valuable for farm uses thaR uox elder, which will give greater �atisfaction to the planter. Acer ? va.T. laciniata. Cut Leaved Maple. This unique ·.·ariety of soft maple has made a growth of five inches the past summer. The leaves a.re smaller than in silver maple and deeply cut, the lobes being divided and pointed. If it prove hardy it will be a valuable lawn tree. Pyrus Americana.. American Mountain Ash. 'rhe trees of fhis sort have grown well and been free from blight the past season, several branches being found which measured one foot six inches in length. The trees do not show any injury from freezing. The beautiful compound leaves and the clusters of brilliant red berries of this species make it a most desirable variety for the lawn. Pyrus aria. White Beam Tree .. Like the mountain ash, which it resembles, this is an ornamental tree of great beauty. Its leaves are darker and thicker than those of the mountain ash, and they are lobed or cleft rather than divided; the tree is also a more upright grower. A leader was found which was nine inches long, and the average growth was but little less. Some of the trees blighted badly; a very grave fault in an ornamental sort. Aside from blight, it is a question whether either the mountain ash or the white beam tree is perfectly hardy . . Fraxinus Americana. White Ash. This variety has grown but little during the past season. Only one tree of the hundred or more living in our grounds shows even a moderate growth; on this one the leader measured one foot in length. In the great majority of specimens, the year's growth consisted of a mere tuft of leaves on a very short axis. If the lesson to be learned from this fact is that the ,, 11sh needs good cultivation, it is an important one. Our trees were nursery grown and few of them were more thdit one half inch in diameter when planted. Tilia. AmeTicana.. Basswood, Linn, Linden. The trees of this variety spent most of the season in determining whether to live or die, and that· questfon· Jet--. tled, they had not much time or energy left for growth. The longest branch meas­ured nine inches. The timber of basswood does not equal that of boxelder in value. As an addition to our short list of ornamental trees it 1s to be prized. !ts round leaves mye fine shade duriqg the summer, and its fragrant, cream-colored flower� add much to its beauty. Salix alba. White Willow. There are only three trees of this !'Pedes in the colleg� grounds, and they seem to have determined to make a good reputation for themselves. One bore a la,teral shoot which measured five and one half feet in length. The best terminal shoot was two feet long. The tree on \lhich it grew stood on top of a low ridge, The trees were_all healthy, and being quite young, the branches reached to the ground, making a dome of green. Quercus a.Iba. White Oak. Of the two dozen or more oak trees set, but one showed any life this fal], and in it the top had died to the ground, but a. healthy 6 DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. young shoot, several inches long, has aprung from the root. The great va.hr:1e of " oak timber need scarcely be mentioned. As the tree is a, very slow grow.er;. and makes a tap root that decends deep into the earth, it is difficult to transplant. Every planter should put acorns into his tree cla.im. While the more rapid t�ees are reachinJ? upward, the littlo oak will be sending its root deep down� and after a. few years, when he has almost forgotten its existence, the planter will be aston­ished to see the young trees appear among their more rapid growing fellows. Catalpa speciosa. Hardy Catalpa. Probably no teee has been more exten­sively experimented with in the weet tha n  the catalpa. The spP.cimens here seem to be out of their latitude. The longest branch of this year's growth is six inches and all the growth is weak. The catalpa cannot be recommended. Populus dilatata. Lombardy Poplar. The two trees of this variety have uoth been broken off, one near the' ground an� the other about three feet a.hove; both sent up vigorous shoots the past season, the longest measuring four and one half feet. The Lombardy poplar is very erect in habit, its branches riaing close to the trunk and thus making a pillar of green. Larix Europaea.  European Larch. The half dozen trees in the grounde sug­gest great possibilities in the �pecies for forest culture. One tree �ade a, leader a foot long and all grew well. The larch is a native of'high latitudes, and is grown in vast quantities in many parts of Europe. The trunk is very straight, th� la,te­rals small and the thinnings from a plantation can be 1,1sed for fence poles, stakes, etc., while the trees are still quite you�g. Aij the leans start v.ei:y t,arly in the spring, transplanting should be done sooner than with ot4er decidiom� trees. Ulmus Americana,. White or American Elm. Next to white birch, the white elm has made the moet satisfactory growth during the past season. Unlike the birch, the elm has not thrown out strong leaders, bnt a great many emall twige have appeared, each clothed with glossy foliage, and the trees have proved them-. selves in fine condition. The longest shoot found measured only a foot, but on each tree there were several b:ranches of almost equal growth. The elm is a mos� valuable tree for the Dakota planter; the wood is tough aud can be used in many• places where a strong timber is necessary. It makes a steady growth, and is per­fectly hardy. '. · �Pinus Strobus. White Pine. Several white pine trees, six or eight feet high · when set, barely lived through the past season,  their weak and scanty folia.ge mak­ini them anything but ornamental objects. The small trees, while they have grown but little, are healthy and promising. Pinus sylvestris. Scotch Pine. Trees of this variety which were four or five feet high when planted, show good foliage, and have perfectly matured buds, in­dicating a fine growth next season . The young trees also are in excellent con­dition. This species seems better adapted to the climate of this region than the white pine. Thuya occiden talis. Arbor Vitre .  White Cedar. A hedie of Arbor Vitre bor­ders the front of the College grounds and its growth the past summer has been entirely satisfactory; a few leaders in it measured a foot, but these were excep­tional, the average growth probably not exceeding seven it;1ches. laolate� tr�es j BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 7 \ / . I made �ix inches of new wood. The arbor vitre is one o� the prettiest of the ever· I greens a.nd should be extensively used for ornamental hedges. 11 Picea,. The Spruces. The white spruce (P. alba,) has grown very little, but a few trees of the species seem determined to live, and may yet make fine trees. Norwll,y Spruce (P. ezcelsa.) shows a. fair average growth, several branches meas· uring six inches in length. The trees are healthy and have fine buds. Abies Ba.laa.mea,. Balsam Fir, There are a number of healthy young speci­mens of this tree, but they have grown but little the past year, the longest leaders measuring t.hree and four inches. Juniperua Virginiana,, Red Cedar. Our specimens were all planted singely, and ha.ve ma.de a. ragged growth, the leaders measuring from four to eight inches. The tree may be used to good advantage for hedging, but it is inferior to Arbor ,, Vitre where isolated. CHAS. A. KEFFER, November 10, 1887. Professor of Forestry, Horticulture and Botany. : ( 

Notes on the Growth of Trees in the College Grounds

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Notes on the Growth of Trees in the College Grounds

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