164 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



then attained to its best estate, and, if left standing longer, it will 

 depreciate in value. I gave the age of some of the oaks in this 

 piece of timber land I am clearing as three hundred years, but I 

 counted the rings in tree after tree there that were over four hun- 

 dred years old ; I gave the smaller number so as to be within the 

 limits of possibility of believing. There is little doubt but that 

 those trees, in an equally favorable market, would have brought 

 more and been more valuable one hundred years ago than to-day. 

 I think they have been diminishing in real value for that length 

 of time. Some of the finest looking trees, nearly three feet 

 through at the butt, had decayed and showed brackish places in 

 them near the top where large limbs had died or been broken off, 

 which spoiled them for timber purposes. 



When timber has reached maturity, it is true economy to cut it 

 and get the greatest value possible for it; but we must not lose 

 sight of the fact that it takes a long time to replace it. We are 

 not taking as energetic measures as we should to renew our 

 forests, but with the urgent necessity there will come a remedy. 

 In Germany and other European countries the farmers are re- 

 quired by law to cultivate timber; such a portion of the soil is 

 to be set out with trees, and a certain amount is required to be 

 cut and replaced each year. Does anyone doubt but that when 

 the pressure comes on us, as it came upon them, when fuel and 

 lumber become so scarce as to make it an object, this intelligent, 

 wide-awake and thoroughly alive people will do what is needed 

 and enact laws that will secure what is needed? This time may 

 be in the remote future, and I am led to believe it is, from the 

 fact that we have thousands of acres of young native timber that 

 is growing up and also thousands of acres of heavy timber lands 

 that are not now accessible ; but when the demand sharpens, new 

 lines of transportation will be opened to them, and they will be 

 brought to market, but when the time does come, we shall not be 

 so stupid as to sit idly by and freeze to death. 



There is one statement made by Mr. Wood that I do not agree 

 with, and I wish to correct, viz.: "That it is not possible, in his 

 opinion, to raise good timber from planted trees." This cannot 

 be true. If Mr. Wood will count the rings in those large trees he 



