i9o8 NEWS AND NOTES 75 



they stand close together and here, this sandy soil, and will grow better 



where thus sheltered from the south than willows, and at the rate of one 



■winds, corn yields six bushels more inch per year. 



per acre than in the rest of the field. Mr. Weber stated that vast plains 

 A county officer, who quotes Mr. in the Argentine Republic are similar 

 Thompson on the figures of the in- in soil to Cabaret Island, and that 

 creased yield, says that the different he will report and recommend the 

 appearance of the sheltered portion of planting of cottonwood on a vast 

 this field, compared with the other, is scale, as he is satisfied from the ex- 

 very noticeable. Six bushels per periment of the St. Louis parties 

 acre on fifteen acres increases the that it will pay better in many places 

 yield of the field by ninety bushels, than farming. 



This at 25 cents per bushel, amount- Cabaret Island in the future will 



ing to $22.50, much more than com- probably be given over to tree growth, 



pensates for the loss of ground occu- J. C. Reintges is head forester, 

 pied by the trees, which are now ap- 



proaching a size suitable for box ^^^^^^^ ^^^ secretary of the 



boards and other purposes. Number National Box Manufac- 



of Boxes turers' Association has 

 5^^if/fnr°P ^^^ American Bottoms ^^^^^ ^^^ following estimate: Annual 

 Swamp Land ^'^ ^ ^^^^^ ^L-""^ ^^""i consumption of boxes in the United 

 . ^ on the Mississippi g^^^^^^ 600,000,000. Net feet of lum- 

 Riyer near St. Louis The soil is ^^^ -^^ ^^^^^ 3,000,000,000; selling 

 rich, but the land is often flooded by ^^j^^ ^^ ^oxes. $75,000,000. 

 the river. It is found, however, that y^^ ^^ B Mershon, of the Mich- 

 the American Bottoms can be made • Forest Investigation Commis- 

 to pay large profits, other than from ^^^^ estimates that the waste in mak- 

 crops of corn and wheat, and that m . ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^J5g the feet of 

 spite of floods. The crop for such a jy^^er used to nearly half a million 

 location IS timber. ^^^^ -^^ ^^^s ^^at the immense de- 

 Mr. Frank Weber, Secretary of niand for boxes made the fortunes of 

 Forestry for the Argentine Republic, several manufacturers in the Sagi- 

 is in this country, and visited St. ^^^^ valley of Michigan. 

 Louis a few days ago, says the Globe 



Democrat, to inquire about the Amer- , ' _ ^ 



ican Bottoms experiment. Messrs. Planting Mr. Mershon is giving 



W. F. and F. C. Niedringhaus took Thousands of practical application to 



him to Cabaret Island, just north of Pme Seeds ^^^ position asapro- 



the city, where they have 100 acres moter of reforestation in Michigan, 



planted in cottonwood trees, averag- He and some associates have acquired 



ing 25 feet in height and 5 inches in 1,600 acres of land along the Au 



diameter, and valued at $20,000. Sable River, which is being prepared 



In 1903, just after the big flood for planting to pines next spring, 



had destroyed $10,000 worth of crops They have purchased 65,000 pine 



on the island, they concluded to ex- seedlings for delivery prior to May 



periment in forestry ; they planted i next ; also 250 pounds of white 



20,000 seedlings in three-foot squares, pine seed and 25 pounds of Nor- 



and have cultivated them since, with way pine seed. There are 70,000 



the result that the trees are now val- seeds to a pound of Norway pine, 



ued at $20,000, and in three years and it is calculated it will require 



more will double in value, despite any thirty to forty years to grow trees 



floods. large enough to be utilized for tim- 



Cottonwood is very adaptable to ber. 



