THE WORK OF THE SPOILERS 



367 



around now run almost dry during a 

 good part of the summer, and become 

 choked with a rank growth of weeds 

 which must be removed, else the stream 

 will be completely filled with silt at the 

 next flood season. 



Owing to the high fertility and excel- 

 lent quality of most of the soil in West- 

 ern Ohio, it seems quite unlikely that 

 there will ever be any extensive plant- 



(Glcdiischia triacanthos), which, when 

 close grown in good soil, is tall, 

 straight, and smooth. This tree makes 

 most excellent fence posts, which eas- 

 ily outlast two sets of oak or cedar 

 posts. The honey locust also grows 

 rapidly on the denuded hills of the re- 

 gion, and would prove a very profitable 

 crop in such situations. The common 

 or black locust ( Robinia Psciidacacia) 



NATURAL REFORESTATION 

 Mixed Growth That Calipers Six to Eight Inches Eighteen Years After the Land Was Totally Cleared 



ing of forests in that region. That re- 

 forestation would be an extremely sim- 

 ple matter is at once evident from some 

 of the views accompanying this paper. 

 Two of the views herewith show a 

 small tract of eighteen-year-old growth 

 which sprang up after complete clear- 

 ing of the land. The original forest 

 was composed mainly of white oak, 

 American elm, walnut, and hickory, 

 and a considerable percentage of ash 

 and honey locust. This tract has af- 

 forded pasture for a few cattle, and is 

 in excellent condition. With proper 

 care and a very little improvement cut- 

 ting, it will in a few years begin to 

 yield good returns. The most rapid 

 growth is made by the honey locust 



is very generally distributed over West- 

 ern Ohio, but its timber is of little 

 value, owing to the destructive attacks 

 of the locust borer. No doubt this tree 

 could be grown with profit if planted in 

 large groves and properly cared for. 



As stated before, however, there is 

 but little if any interest shown by the 

 people in the matter of tree planting. 

 It is true that shade-trees are quite 

 commonly planted along the streets of 

 towns and villages, and in public 

 grounds generally, but this practise has 

 not yet extended to the public high- 

 ways, or even, to any extent, to the 

 rural school-grounds. Most of the 

 counties report a growing interest in 

 Arbor Day among the schools, but that 



