Tree Planting. 45 



must plant others. Somebody has said that the sentiment which 

 has prompted the tree planting organization at the west and caused 

 a day to be set apart for a united, voluntary public effort in this 

 behalf, is akin to that which set on foot our charitable and mis- 

 sionary societies. That is, we find that things have been going 

 wrong and we decide to face about and try to set them right. 

 Yes, we must plant trees. 



It has been estimated that ten years hence not less than 20,- 

 000,000 railroad ties will be needed annually, while the immense 

 consumption of lumber of all kinds will be greatly increased. Is 

 it not worth our while to consider how we may provide for this 

 certain demand of the future? A step in the right direction has 

 been taken by the people of New York state, where a bill has. 

 been introduced into the legislature making it obligatory upon 

 every county to spend $500 yearly to encourage tree planting. I 

 am told that "our agricultural population is not easily convinced 

 of this necessity ; that the benefits are too vague, the profits too 

 prospective to cause them to look with enthusiasm on what 

 seems a doubtful undertaking.!* I shall not attempt to convince 

 them. Let them read in the Popular Science Monthly and the 

 reports of state boards of agriculture able and conclusive argu- 

 ments. But let us plant trees. And what shall we plant? The 

 good, old-fashioned farmer will tell us to plant the Lombardy 

 Poplar. It does not take up much room; you can set it by the 

 roadside and it will not overshadow the growing crops. But do 

 you not know that it was brought from Italy, and that its tender 

 constitution cannot bear the vigor of our northern winters? Have 

 you not noticed how every spring bears witness to the decay of 

 its branches, and that it becomes prematurely old? Let us not 

 plant the Lombardy Poplar. 



Shall we plant the locust tree? When the prairies were first 

 settled thrifty farmers had a fashion of bringing with them from 

 the east a little bag filled with the seed of the locust, aud on many 

 a farm was seen a locust grove. The rapid growth of its straight 

 and lofty stem, covered with a thick irregularly furrowed bark 

 and furnished with rude strong branches, made it widely sought 

 for as screen to check the force of the cold winds on the wide and 



