212 TBANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



Now if you will pardon this digression, I will say that Isaac 

 Funk, an honored Senator of Illinois, is the man to whom I refer. 

 In early times for Illinois he purchased a grove which still carries the 

 name " Funk's Grove." It is still in its entirety, owned by his chil- 

 dren, I think, with beautiful farms on all sides. In conversation 

 with three of his sons I have gathered the following facts: In their 

 early recollections many brambles and small trees, as the plum, paw- 

 paw, hazel and crab-apple grew upon the outskirts. These have 

 mostly disappeared, but the useful trees are still mostly standing. 

 The black walnut, that prince of deciduous trees, white oak, burr oak, 

 chniqua-pin oak, black oak, blackberry, linn, elms, white and blue ash, 

 with some other less valuable varieties, make up the grove which fur- 

 nished a large amount of fencing material and fuel, and in the last 

 few years they have sold at least $30,000 worth of black walnut tim- 

 ber from this grove, and yet, to a casual observer, it stands intact. 

 Three thousand acres, let us suppose, which is probably four hundred 

 too much; yet at this generous figure the yield is ten dollars an 

 acre, and the grove still apparently entire. 



I have called attention to this one instance, of many which 

 might be given, to ask this body of thinking men to think of the mar- 

 velous capacity of Illinois in the cultivation and conservation of 

 timber. 



By the most careful estimates we find that a very large area of 

 our forests is annually used for railroad ties, not less than 60,000 

 acres in all the States, and for Illinois at least 20,000, and a larger 

 area is consumed by forest fires. This state of affairs- is alarming; 

 and the problem forces itself upon us, and thoughtful men are 

 awakening to its solution. 



But the usefulness of groves and timber belts cannot be esti- 

 mated in mere dollars and cents. Since the removal of the tall 

 native grasses, at the sources of our creeks and rivers, every thought- 

 ful person has noticed the failure of our water supply in the latter 

 part of our summers, and on dry occasions, such as at present. 

 Could the sources of our streams be but partially covered with tim- 

 ber growth, these streams would return to their pristine usefulness 

 and vigor. The common observation is that showers in dry weather 

 will pour down on groves and timber belts, while fields and farms in 

 the vicinity are almost parched. 



Gentlemen of this Convention*, to you and men like you must 

 we look for the energy, the industry and the forethought to supply 

 the impending want. Shall we look in vain? I believe not. 

 Through the far-searching influences of societies like yours in almost 

 every State has grown up a more than a National society. For 

 Canadian Foresters can^e knocking at the doors of the '' Forestry 

 Congress of the United States," and our northern neighbor was 

 admitted and welcomed, and six years ago, in the city of Cincinnati, 

 was framed the " American Forestry Congress." The appellation, 



