146 
wet sand. There are hills, however, on which no one should attempt to 
grow wood, viz, those that contain a blowout, or are likely to contain 
one, Such hills, as a rule, are characterized by the blowout grasses; 
but hills on which the Stipe, Bouteloua hirta, and Panicum virgatum 
grow may very well be used for tree planting. 
3, It must be a tree native in poor soil. The black jack or northern 
serub pine (Pinus divaricata), growing on the sand barrens of Wiscon- 
sin and upper Michigan, | think, would be a suitable tree. It would 
seem, also, that the Scotch pine (Pinus sylrestris) would fulfill the con- 
ditions. There is a large region in Sweden, just as sandy, of whieh 
almost the only vegetation, when L saw it last, some twenty years ago, 
was heather, The Swedish Government undertook to plant it with 
forest trees, especially Pinus sylvestris. From the papers [ learn that 
the whole region now is a fine young pine forest. However, from 
the experiment made by Messrs. E.G. and Hudson Brunner in Holt 
County, under the direction of the Forestry Division of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, Pinus sylvestris does not seem to be of 
much value for this region. Perhaps the partial failure resulted from 
the seedlings being received in poor condition, or perhaps this pine, 
being a northern tree, can not endure the hot winds. If the latter 
were the case, however, Pinus divaricala ought to be similarly affected, 
but in the experiment referred to this seemed to be the very best of the 
trees tested. 
Many have taken tree claims in this region, but the most have failed 
to make their trees grow; in fact, statements have been made, some- 
times publicly, that it is impossible to do so. I believe the contrary. 
Most have failed just because they have tried to fulfill the require- 
ments of the tree-planting law. This was made to fit the conditions 
of a prairie region with a hard sod, not those of the sand hills. A 
thorough cultivation of the ground, although highly recommended and 
repeatedly urged, is the worst kind of treatment for a tree plantation 
in the sand hills. This has been plainly shown by the experiments 
made in Holt County. One of four lots planted with trees was culti- 
vated, and at the end of the first year only 5 per cent of the trees were 
living. On the other lots, not cultivated, the result was good. After 
two years the average of living trees on the three lots was 51 per cent. 
A thorough cultivation of a field in the sand hills means to make it a 
blowout, or at least to dry up all its moisture. Besides this, cultiva- 
tion here would prepare the ground for weeds instead of killing them. 
The less the ground is disturbed the better. 
The best tree for planting seems to me to be Pinus ponderosa scopu- 
lorum. Perhaps it would be wisest to plant it mixed with Pinus divar- 
icata, or other conifers, or even such deciduous trees as may be likely 
to succeed here. A tree claim was visited on one of the hills, 2 er 3 
miles north of Middle Loup and 5 or 6 miles trom Mullen, in whieh the 
species planted were box elder, green ash, and cottonwood. About 60 
or 70 per cent had lived through, aud all had made a good growth. 
