150 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



be the next growth of timber in natural rotation. Farmers are 

 altogether too careless and negligent in the preservation of timber, 

 and in protecting that which is growing up naturally. They will get 

 together and talk over the subject, and reason about it, but there 

 it ends ; when they go home, it seems to be forgotten, at least they 

 do nothing. Any one who has seen the groves on his place can- 

 not but be convinced that it is profitable at least to protect and 

 encourage the natural growth. A great many say that they do 

 not care to provide for the wants of the next generation, but he 

 would like to leave an inheritance to his boys which would be 

 valuable to them, and would lead them to appreciate and be 

 thankful for his care and forethought. 



Mr. Peffer said that in his section, where nearly all the timber 

 is second growth, he had noticed two seasons when the black oaks 

 had died out much more than usual. Part of the land had been pas- 

 tured and part had not, but the places where the trees suffered 

 the most were on the south and southwest side and where the wind 

 had blown off the natural mulch of forest leaves. In both of 

 these seasons there had been little or no snow; when winter set 

 in the ground had been very dry, aud when it thawed out in the 

 spring was still dry, and the roots had been injured or killed by 

 the frost, so that they could not furnish moisture and nourishment 

 enough for the trees, and they either died out or were killed 

 back in the top, and continued to grow feebly for a year or two and 

 then died out. Where the trees died and others were wanted in 

 their places, he would recommend setting box- elder, maple or 

 white ash. Black walnut is also good. 



Mr. Babbett, of Beloit, thought it was possible to save these 

 native trees, and that it was better to do so than to fill their places 

 with something else. They are beautiful trees. They have come 

 down to us from former generations, and were the associates of 

 the Indian race. Some think, that with that race they must pass 

 away, but he did not believe this was necessary. Their lives can 

 be prolonged by care. He had quite a number of these native 

 trees in his door yard which he thought a good deal of ; one black 

 oak standing near the house commenced to die at the top some 

 fifteen years ago; he valued the tree highly for shade, and tried 



