VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 283 



over the land if we would avert a disastrous timber famine in the 

 near future. I shall eontine my few remarks to the first jiroposition: 

 the necessity an<l utility of forest plantinj^. We find that nature 

 has made it inounibeni on us to keep at least a portion of the earth's 

 surface covered with timber, in order that we may attain to the 

 highest type of manhood, l)oth physically and mentally, for it has 

 been fully demonstrated that the inhabitants of entirely treeless 

 regions are inferior t(j those dwelling in forests or in their imme- 

 diate vicinity. It is not alone the eucalyptus, or blue-green tree, 

 that has the power of imparting health and salubrity to malarial 

 and fever-stricken localities, but all tree-growth has more or less in- 

 fluence in this direction, absorbing the noxious va))ors and gases 

 that would prove deleterious and poisonous to animal life. And it 

 has been further demonstrated that the greatest success in agricul- 

 ture is attained where at least one-fourth of the area is covered with 

 forests, — the three-fourths of farm land yielding as much, estimat- 

 ing for a series of years, as the whole would without timber, if situ- 

 ated in a treeless country, as crops are more uniform in localities 

 where forests abound. The horticulturist needs the protection of 

 timber, and needs it badly to enable him to achieve success in his 

 favorite calling. Should any one doul)t the beneticial influence of 

 forests in this regard, let them consult the early settlers in any tim- 

 bered country, and they will learn that when the country was new 

 and mostly covered with timber, they grew fruit with the same ease 

 and success they did corn, pumpkins, and potatoes. But now, where 

 timber is mostly cut away, the crop is nearly as uncertain as on the 

 open prairie. We want our stee)» hill-sides covered with timber, also 

 the margins of streams. es])ecially about their sources, to equalize 

 the amount of water in their channels, and to aid in preventing the 

 damaging floods that have become painfully numerous of late. We 

 want extensive general tree-planting throughout the vast stretch of 

 open c(juntry lying between us and the Kocky Mountains. This 

 seems an urgent necessity to temper the winter wind and check its 

 rate of speed: in this way alone can we hope to soften the fury of 

 the dreaded bli/./ard, the lion of the northwest. By this means also 

 may be checked and moistened the dry. hot winds that ])roduce such 

 havoc in the southwest: and the dreadful norther, the dread of the 

 Texas stockmen, could be measurably ])revented by the same means. 

 The devastating, life-destroying cyclones and tornadoes that have 

 their home in this region, would be shorn of a part of their awful 

 power at least, coul'd we cover one-fourth of the land with timber, 

 and when this is accom|)lished. this now sterile waste will become 

 the home of millions of })ros])erous. hai)py tillers of the soil. 



As to the necessity and utility of timber on every ])rairie farm 

 there can be no question, for every intelligent, observing person 

 realizes the jjreat need of groves and belts of trees for ornament, 

 shade and shelter, and to furnish a ready suj)ply of timber for the 



