Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1903 — FARM AND GARDEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARM AND GARDEN

FOREST TREE PLANTING. An Effort to Promote It Among Farmer, and Landowner,. The divimon of forestry of the United States department of agriculture through a recent circular offers practical and personal assistance to farmers and others in establishing forest plantations, wood lots, shelter belts and wind breaks. Applications for the conditions of such assistance should be made to Gifford Pinchot, forester, Washington, D. C. The design of this undertaking is to aid farmers and other landowners in the treeless region of the west and wherever it is desirable to establish forest plantation. In the very interesting explanatory circular, No 22, Mr. Pinchot touches upon various aspects of forestry. Tree culture In regions formerly treeless, he says, is dependent largely upon agriculture. Wherever large areas of land have been brought under cultivation the growing of trees is yearly becoming more successful. Nearly every state of the plains region has, among many failures, some admirable examples of plantations of

all ages, from 1 to 25 or more years, which have been in every way successful. The success of these plantations, when compared with the more numerous failures, proves the great need for practical experience, combined with wide and accurate knowledge, in growing forest trees In the west. The forest plantation at the Agricultural college, Brookings, S. D., of which an Interior view Is given In the first cut, Illustrates what may be accomplished in a few years on the open prairies of that state. This Is a mixed plantation, 12 years old, of birch, black cherry, green ash and white elm. The second cut shows a typical view of a young (forest plantation two years after planting. The plot on the left Is a mixed planting of box elder, oak, white elm, green ash and black locust. The plot on the right Is set to Russian mulberry, oak, white elm, black locust, honey locust, green ash and box elder. This plantation Is at Logan, Utah. It is not reasonable to suppose that forest tree culture can be made a direct source of great financial profit In the arid regions, but if it cannot bring in Important sums it can save the farmer very considerable expenditures by supplying material which he would otherwise have to buy. The indirect value, too, of well established groves, wood lots, shelter belts and wind breaks in the protection which they afford is of the first Importance. Such plantations, in addition to being of direct use for fuel, fence posts and material for many miscellaneous farm uses, are Invaluable in providing protection for crops, orchards, stock and farm buildings. One of the most Important indirect services of forest plantations, and one rarely taken Into consideration, is the increased market value of a well wooded farm on the prairie lands of the west over one without timber. Conservative estimates made on the ground indicate that the farms of eastern and central Kansas and, Nebraska that have well developed plantations of forest trees upon them, either in the form of wood lots, shelter belts or wind breaks, are worth more per acre than farms without them. In nearly the whole of the broad prairie belt extending from the wooded regions to longitude 100 degrees west and reaching from North Dakota to Texas trees may be grown with varying success. In the western border of the wooded area nearly all the species may be grown which are indigenous to the adjacent woodlands. Farther west the range in selection becomes more and more restricted until the western limit

of successful tree culture on nonirrigated lands Is reached. Many of the wornout farms in humid regions may be brought back to their, original fertility by growing forest trees upon them for a series of years, and very many of them contain land better suited to the production of wood than to any other purpose. Such land should never have been cleared. It is fortunately true that throughout the regions once wooded wornout farm lands will usually revert to their previous condition if protected from fire 1 and stock.

INTERIOR OF MIXED PLANTATION.

TYPICAL TWO-YEAR-OLD PLANTATION.