STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 99 



Mr. Baldwin — I wish to protest against the intimation that the 

 prairies of Northern Illinois will not produce as great a variety of trees 

 as Southern Illinois. 



I know it was once the opinion that prairies were not ada])ted to 

 tree growth ; but 1 i)elieve that opinion has about exploded. The prairie 

 soil is especially adapted to the growth of White, Hard, and Ash-leaf 

 Maples. Black and White Walnuts, Tulip-tree, White Pine, (this will 

 grow sometimes three feet in a single season) White Elm, White, and 

 Blue Ash; nearly all the varieties of Oak grow faster on the prairie than 

 on timber soil. The only objection to prairie soil is that it gets too dry 

 in time of excessive drouth. There is little doubt that the prairies 

 would be covered with trees had the fires been kept from them. 



Mr. Douglass — I used to think as Mr. Flagg does. 



Mr. Flagg — I was brought up on the prairie. [Laughter.] 



Mr. Douglass — I have cut nine cords of wood from one Burr Oak. 

 This was a big tree. It stood upon a sort of island, and the fires that 

 devastated the prairie around it could not reach it ; showing that it is not 

 for want of adaptation of soil that we have not trees, and large trees. 



Mr. Edwards — In common with many of the members of this So- 

 ciety I once fell into the way of thinking that our prairies were not 

 adapted to timber growing, but facts have overthrown this theory. Now 

 let us not be misled in this matter. There are some facts that arc look- 

 ing us squarely in the face. The country is being devastated of its tim- 

 ber, and must we not replace it ? 



I know that in my part of the State, since I first came there, thirty 

 years ago, there is not, now, one tenth the timber that there was then. 

 Indeed, there is not much more timber to cut. I learn that the same is 

 true elsewhere, and necessity is upon us, we must plant, and to say that 

 our country is not adapted to the growth of trees, is like saying it is not 

 adapted to the white man. No doubt some varieties of trees do better 

 in one place than in another — but trees grow freely in every part of the 

 State; and, I repeat, our influence should favor planting trees — and T do 

 not understand Mr. Flagg to have any different view in this regard. 



Mr. M. I,. DuNLAP — I wish to say a word about the adaptation of our 

 prairies to timber growing. I think the difficulty is in the physical con- 

 dition of the country. You will find that where there are timber belts 

 there is water. .\nd these creeks and sloughs have kept off the fires. 

 The reason the Grand Prairie is so destitute of timber is, that it has no 



