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Show i- THE GARDEN SPOT Trees Make the Difference By Etdred E. Green 1 DID YOU EVER notice the differ-ence differ-ence a few trees will make? Look at a house in a new area without trees. Looks bare, doesn't it? Look around town. The best residential districts are those that have the large trees. Whether the trees are present around your home or not you can do something about it. Plant some. The selection of trees will vary somewhat to suit special needs but the general problems of tree culture cul-ture are the same. In selecting the kinds to plant decide what features are most important to you. Some trees are rapid growing and furnish shade and shelter in a few years. These are generally shortlived short-lived trees and often are severely damaged by storms. Slower growing grow-ing trees may take longer but will damaged by storms; the trunks become be-come diseased and the tree dies when about full size. Chinese elm can be used for windbreak hedges as it can be pruned into any size wanted. Silver maple will need a good moisture supply. The others will grow in dry areas if carefully tended until they are started. For permanent effect the hardwood hard-wood trees are best. The best shade tree for most places is the American Ameri-can elm. This grows into a large tree with an umbrella shaped top that Is excellent for shade or landscape land-scape use. Hard maples are next for large trees. While rather slow in growth, they are permanent. They are large spreading trees and give a majestic appearance. The sugar maple is native. The Norway maple is very similar in M i ' appearance and habit. There is a red-leaved form of the Norway maple, ma-ple, Schwedleri, which is useful for contrast. White ash is a good tree of medium me-dium size. It is more open and casts less shade than the others. Lindens or basswoods are round-shaped trees which reach large size in damp places but are medium size in dry spots. Sycamore, with brown, flaky bark, and tulip tree with odd, lobed leaves are fine for places with good soil. Oaks are excellent but generally too slow to be of much use. Pin oak grows faster than most of the others. Nut trees are fine for last longer and not need the replacing re-placing or treatment that the swifter swift-er kinds will. What do you want from the tree? Shade for the house to temper summer sum-mer sun? Shelter from the winds? A leafy canopy for the garden? A frame for the landscape? There are trees to suit every purpose but they must be chosen for the right spot. Trees for quick effect are Chinese elm, silver (or soft) maple, and poplar. These are large spreading trees that make a very rapid growth and a lot of shade. However, the wood is soft and branches are easily shade but here too the growth is very slow in most places. Willows are useful for shelter and shade, especially in moist spots. They are softwooded and easily broken or damaged. They are best for shading seats, lawns, or low buildings. Outside of carefully planting and tending the trees for the first few years, little care is needed. Cut off dead or damaged limbs, water in severe droughts and fertilize if the soil is poor. No plants add as much in value of pleasure as good shade trees. |