100 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



water. Hence I say it is the physical condition of the country that has 

 prevented the prairies from being covered with timber. We find east of 

 the Wabash river a timbered country ; the fires coming from the west 

 being stopped by the river. 



Mr. Wier — Mr. Flagg speaks of grafting the persimmon. I have 

 had that question asked me fifty times. Can it be done ? 



Mr. Flagg — I have no experience, but I have the testimony of one 

 Mr. Balsiger of Madison County that he tried root-grafting and failed ; he 

 then tried top-grafting, using wax, and succeeded well. 



Mr. Freeman — I would say in regard to the Jire theory^ we have 



* 



fires, and are as liable to fire in the southern part of of the State as in 

 any other. ' We have a fire there now. I have a letter, just received 

 from home, saying a fire has swept over the country. 



Mr. Earle — Along the very wide breadth of country through which 

 the Illinois Central Railroad passes, there is no timber fit for railroad ties, 

 and the nearest point of supply in Southern Illinois, is forty miles away. 



I think it is time this question of supply of timber was being agi- 

 tated. I do not think we can do the people of the State abetter service 

 than to wake them up on this subject, and I welcome all this talk. I 

 believe'that the discussions and published Transactions of this Society 

 have done more to call attention to this subject than all other influences 

 combined. Let the grand movement go forward. 



Legislation may yet help us. Our legislatures, state and national, 

 should encourage this great enterprise of tree planting. 



He referred to the statement of Mr. Mathews, of Iowa, that the Eu- 

 ropean Larch is not durable timber when grown upon the prairie, and 

 thought there was some mistake about it. He has hopes of this tree as 

 •'a timber tree. 



Mr. Snedecker — ^I would suggest, that the Osage Orange is one of 

 bur best timber trees; the Larch I don't think is to be' compared with 

 it. It makes a good ffence ; there is nothing you can plant better for a 

 wind-break, and when grown for timber, it will last as a fence post equally 

 as long as Red Cedar; and for wagon timber it ranks number one. I 

 recommend it as one of the most valuable timber trees that we can 

 plant. 



Mr. Bryan r, jr. — I would name the Catalpa as an excellent tim- 

 ber tree. It makes excellent posts, does not rot ; wc have nothing 

 better. •. 



