ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 283 



continent, down almost to the centre of tlie Mississippi valley is from some cause strangely deficient 

 in timber, and it is very dry and almost sterile in some parts. To just how great an extent artificial 

 tree production will increase tlie humidity of the atmosphere, and consequently the productiveness 

 of tile soil cannot be predicted, but that good eft'ects in that direction will follow arboriculture, there 

 is no reason for doubt. All the evidences which can be obtained, go to show that tlie grass covered 

 area is getting larger, and the cactus, and arfemisia area correspondingly smaller since tliis region 

 has been liuown by civilized jieople. Tlie fire brand of the Indian and the wandering wliite man has 

 been reducing the groves until at many places the only timber growth left is upon the large river 

 islands wliere the trees stand literally intrenched behind tlie flowing waters, but the few outliers 

 whicli liave for centuries witlislood tlie flames on the highlands, prove that wood growth is possible 

 even on tlie liigh prairies at many points, and the suggestion wliich has come to many a mind is that 

 if our initional legislature and our gigantic railroad corporations would but support jiroperly organ- 

 ized effort, the most lieiieficent results to our present and future population could be accomplished 

 upon the great American desert. 



In support of the profitableness of tree production, so many facts estalilished by actual trial could 

 be cited that any man should be convinced that trees will i)ay on any bare farm. True, we are too 

 young ill forest planting to have proved more tlian a few years growth, but taking tlie results of these 

 few years for data and allowing for every contingencj', making in all respects a conscientious estimate, 

 tlie share of profits to tlie grove-maker are so large as to surprise even the calculator. Mr. Budd, of 

 Shallsburg, Iowa, who has grown the several species of ash to (juite a large extent, estimates the net 

 receipts from ten acres of red ash of twelve years growth, at 83,720. Mr. Scofield, of Elgin, Ills., 

 estimates the value of pine and European larcli idantations as more than double these figures, and I 

 have t;ikeu known trees for a guide, and after making every deduction for culture, interest on invest- 

 ments, and taxes, I find that the net profit upon ten acres of grove of red maple, honey maple, red 

 elm and hickory, at twelve years old, amounts to $1,152, or $9 60 per acre per year, clear profit 

 above all expenses. (See Transactions 111. Horticultural Society for 18(58, page 249.) An objection is 

 raised that these are only estimates, not facts. So everything in the future is an estimate, an expec- 

 tation, or even a wish; your next year's harvest and your next year's bread are hut expectations, 

 and they are reasonable or unreasonable expectations in just so far as they are based upon actual 

 knowledge, and in just so far as they take Into consideration all the probable causes likely to effect 

 the production of the expected harvest. If all adverse probabilities have been duly considered, all 

 favorable conditions fairly reduced, our estimates are as deserving as are those of the careful 

 husljandman. 



With a view to learn liow far our native wood growths could be made to supply our wants, I have 

 made a pretty careful survey of my own county, and the result is a lignarium containing 120 species 

 of woods belonging to 49 genera. First upon the list stands tlie Acerinae or maiile la.iiiiy, com- 

 prising five species: Acer rnbrum (red maple), A. dasycarpum (silver leaf maple), Acer sacr.Mrinum 

 (sugar maple), A. nigrum (l)lack sugar maple), and A. negundo (honey or asli leaf maple). Tlic red 

 maple is useful as a lumber tree, for fuel, and is with all the others a sugar producer. The silver 

 leaf maple with the first, and the ash leaf maple are rapid growers, and worthy of extended cultiva- 

 tion. Tlie so-called sugar maples are worthy of cultivation, but of too slowgrowtli to to be generally 

 popular. The last on the list, the honey or ash leaf maple, of all seems the most promising sulyect 

 of the tree planters' energy ; of rapid growtli, healthy, a good fuel, and an abundant sugar producer, 

 it doubly jiays to plant, pays in sugar, and finally in fuel. To make a sugar orchard it is best to plant 

 upon ground descending from one corner to the otlier; then first plant 2 ft. by 4, at five years thinning 

 to 4 by 4. At eight or nine years fix ordinary sawed eave-trough stuff along the rows, witli a main 

 along the ends of the first troughs. This arrangement brings all the sap (wliicli had better flow 

 througli metal spouts) to tlic reservoir or furnace, doing away with the worst feature of maple sugar 

 manufacturing— the handling the sap. Good sugar, but without the familiar maple flavor, has often 

 been nuule from tliis tree, and my experiments show 2 8-11 per cent, as the yield of dry sugar from 

 the crude sap. 



Amelancliier Canadensis and A. Oblongifolia, tlie service berries, are wortli places in the garden; 

 they are good to eat, as the birds well know; Amorpha Canescens, lead plant, unimportant; Ampe- 

 lopsis Qiiinquefolia, Virginia creeper, isa vigorous climber, with a dense green foliage in summer, 

 becoming crimson in autumn, ornamental. 



Celtis Occldentalls (the Hackljerry), is a nolile tree too niucli neglected, of as graceful haliit as the 

 famous elm ; is of rapid growth and hardy, easily transplanted, and furnishing good fuel and 

 lumlier for some purposes. Cephalanthus Occidentalis (the Button Bush) in the economy of Nature 

 is an important agent in building swamps up into dry ground, but perhaps not worth cultivating. 

 Celastrus Scandens (tlie Start' Tree or False Bitter Sweet) is a clean, neat climl)er, whose beautiful 

 berries persistent In winter claim for it a place in our shrubberies. Carya Allm, C. Glabra, and C. 

 Amara (the Hickories) grow well from the iiut, not transplanted, and every one knows all aliout the 

 wood. Corylus Americana (tlie Hazel) has been fertilizing millions of acres of Western soil for luin- 

 dreds of years, and If it was only more rare some one might recognize its beauties and give It a home 



