196 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



accords with most men's sentiments, and I Ond most horticulturists are in 

 favor of preserving a piece of wood-land on their neighbor's land. 



I confess I have little hope of effective action in this matter on the part of 

 my brothers. They are too conservative. The average iiorticulturist has too 

 strong a grip, as yet, upon the animal side of this business, to let up on his 

 aversion to untillable land. ''I set out trees," said one to me with indigna- 

 tion in his tone; "Haven't I been all tny life cutting them down? And shall 

 I set them out again? Not if the court knows herself, an' I bet she does." 

 However, the horticulturist hungers for facts, as his stomach hungers for 

 food. The trouble is, if the fact presented to him does not accord with his 

 own experience, he is as likely to reject it as his stomach is to kick at au 

 unaccustomed filling. 



I know of an instance occurring within tlie last two years, where a man who 

 has a peach orchard and some grape vinos, cut down a beautiful line of second 

 growth hickory and oak along the highway, because, he said, " Tiie trees kept 

 his old rail fence moist and rotted it." He didn't see until the wind break 

 was gone that it helped to keep the interior of his field moist also. 



Another man lately cut down a similar line of oak and hickory, on the 

 south line of his vineyard, "To let in the air," he said. At present he has 

 plenty of air, and his vines crowd to the earth to escape it. On this latter 

 farm was a fine peach orchard, sheltered on the southwest and west by a vol- 

 untary of oak and black walnut. There were grapes in the line which the 

 owner did not care to kill. A few winters ago a southwest storm of unusual 

 severity struck that orchard, and, in the line of the grapes, the trees were 

 destroyed, and in the line of the oaks and walnuts, the trees suffered only in 

 their buds, the fruit as a crop being killed. It was after this experience that 

 the man cut down the trees on the north of his grapes. The discouragement 

 is, that each of these men could take their seats in the sessions of the society 

 and be accepted as intelligent Jnembers ; for they are really intelligent men 

 and well-to-do in the world — makers of their own property. 



There are three brawny oaks scattered on a field of mine, near the highway. 

 I bought the land in the "grub" or it is safe to say they would not be there. 

 They are gnarled and crooked, with great arms reaching many feet IVom their 

 short, thick trunks — really picturesque objects. I suppose the tree slayer was 

 greatly put out at the sight of these trees. No salable timber could be got 

 out of them, only some posts or a lot of rails. All else stove wood — at that 

 time of not much account, but of some value now. Well, people ask me, 

 "Why don't you cut them down?" "For want of a sufficient reason," I 

 reply. "But they will make a pile of posts and rails," they urge. "I know 

 it," 1 reply, "but I can buy those, and I would have to wait for not less than 

 three hundred years to replace the trees." I can compliment the intelligence 

 of my interrogators generally by saying that I rarely have to defend my stal- 

 wart friends beyond that point. 



As a society I respectfully suggest that we should accumulate facts relating 

 to forestry. What is the jiroper proportion of cleared land to woodland ? And 

 liow to be distributed? \Vhat are tlie best forest trees for planting, consider- 

 ing the time of growth to maturity and their value for wood and timber? 

 Should edible nut-bearing trees be favored. What facts have we touching the 

 drying of the surface of the earth by the wind and the influence of trees ia 

 preventing it? What means have we of verifying tlie facts that none may err 

 therein or remain doubting Thomases? I earnestly urge special effort in this 

 direction for the better information of the brethren. 



