1930 - Annual Convention Report

              52 A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
the winter there was very little snow so that the conditions were unfavorable
for newly planted trees. Nevertheless, I have word of the preparation of
soil for shelter belts at a number of our rural schools; this is indeed encourag­ing
and with the moisture of the last month, those planted this spring should
make a good start.
Mr. Norman M . Ross, Superintendent Forestry Station. Indian Head, gives
some valuable information. He says: " Regarding varieties, it is becoming
more and more evident that the native green ash is about the most depend­able
of all our hardy broadleaf trees. The ash in the past has not - been in
particular favor as compared with some others on account of its somewhat
slower growth and the fact that while small it is particularly susceptible to
damage from rabbits; however, it is one tree which practically never shows
signs of winter killing, and after all, over a period of years, wilt show a
growth nearly equal to maple. It will stand drought and neglect better than
either poplar, w i l l ow or maple, and so far as rabbit injury is concerned these
pests seem to have more or less disappeared for the time being, and in any
event, it has been found that a slight touch of axle grease on the bark of
the young trees will provide complete protection."
" While poplars and willows are without doubt our fastest growers they
lack permanency. The caragana is one of our most useful shelter belt plants
and is particularly adapted for trimmed hedges and single row field shelters.
Of all the hardy varieties the evergreens as a class seem to be the most
valuable for shelter purposes and best adapted to prairie conditions. They
may be somewhat more difficult to get started but once established make
rapid growth and stand up well even when neglected. From experiments with
various mixtures planted on the Nursery Station the evergreens appear to do
well in an even mixture with green ash and they may be successfully planted
under cottonwoods and poplars after the latter are from ten to fifteen feet
high and have become somewhat open at the bottom. Pines may be used to
fill in spaces in a belt and thus give a pretty green for the winter."
These are a few of the suggestions Mr. Ross gives in a paper he has
written on planning shelter belts.
In preparing the ground for the planting be sure the strip is wide enough
so that there will be a good margin left on either side of the actual rows of
trees for cultivation in subsequent seasons, and then be prepared to give the
trees good surface cultivation between the rows for at least three or four
years.
Some of our Institutes in the northern part of the Province where there
is a natural growth of trees report the cleaning up of underbrush and trim­ming
of the native trees around the schools. It is also gratifying to note
that a number of our members have taken advantage of the services of M r .
Seymour and his department and are endeavoring to follow the plans he has
g; ven them to improve home grounds.
Some very interesting reports were sent i n ; one from Lac Ste. Anne
sho\ v> what a woman can do to improve conditions. One woman there
homesteaded, cleared her 30 acres and raises chickens and milks cows. Another
has excellent flower and vegetable gardens, has had 50 gallons of currants
each year for the past four years; she has 500 strawberry plants and has had
lilacs and roses for some years.
Mrs. Op-; 1vv of New Brunswick, who is Chairman of Agriculture for the
Federated Women's Institutes of Canada, wrote asking that we include a
crusade against noxious weeds in our program.