Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1876 — Tree-Planting. [ARTICLE]

Tree-Planting.

«. Massachusetts has inaugurated a movement for the encouragement of tree-plant-ing, which should stimulate similar efforts in all other States in the Union. A few months ago, Prof. C. S. Sargent, Director of the Botanic Garden and Arnold Arboretum, of Harvard University, published, in the Report for 1875 of the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, a paper advocating the culture of forest-trees on poor and worn-out lands in the State. The Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture has now reprinted the paper, enlarged by directions for the planting and management of seedling-trees, ana present it to the public gratuitously. The Society also offers the following list of prizes; One thousand dollars for the best plantation of five acres set with larch, or Scotch, or Corsican pine, not less than 2,700 trees to the acre; s6oofor the secondbest plantation of the same; S4OO for the third-best; S6OO for the best plantation of five acres set with white ash, not less than 5,000 trees to the acre; and S4OO for the second-best plantation of the same. The prizes will be awarded in the summer of 1877. A citizen of Boston has offered to superintend the importation of the pines and larches, which must be brought from Europe. The ashes will probable be raised from seed. According to the estimates of Mr. Sargent, the plantations will return to their owners a handsome reward for the capital and labor invested, while useless lands will be turned to account, and made in obvious ways an ornament and advantage to the State.— Chicago Tribune. —ln Charlestown, Mass., a few days ago, Jennie Mears, a girl of sixteen, employed as a domestic in Mrs. Savage’s boarding-house, was shot in the lungs, probably fatally, by Minnie, a nine-year-old daughter of Mrs. Savage. The weapon-used was found by Minnie in a bureau drawer, and, doubtless, supposing it to be the same weapon which she and several of the boarders had used to snap Caps with, she playfully aimed it at Miss Mears, thinking to frighten her, and, pulling the trigger, the contents of otte of the barrels of the revolver was discharged with the above result.