ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 285 



Sand ridges may be planted in a similar manner, only the trees 

 should stand closer together, and be set deeper in the ground. The 

 object in planting closer is to have the trees protect each other. 



If these sand ridges are nearly covered with vegetation they should 

 be plowed before planting, but if too sandy to produce more than a 

 sparse covering, the plow would do more harm than good, and the 

 trees should be planted so as to disturb the surface as little as possible. 

 Thousands of acres of blowing sand have been covered with valuable 

 timber m this way both in France and Scotland, but it would not be 

 profitable to plant such land in this country, and we would not advise 

 the planting on land so sandy as to be entirely destitute of vegetation. 

 But if there is enough fertility in the land to produce corn stalks one to 

 two feet in height it may safely be planted, and in that case the trees 

 need not be planted nearer than four feet each way, with corn planted 

 in the intervals, — not for the crop of corn, as we are speaking of land 

 too poor to produce corn ; but these corn stalks will protect the young 

 trees from the scorching sun in summer, and from the winds and frosts 

 of winter. Fortunately for us all, there is very little such land in our 

 fertile western states, so we will now proceed with the best method 

 of planting on our ordinary prairie farms. 



TIMBER-PLANTING ON THE PRAIRIES. 



We will take as an example one hundred and sixty acres of ordi- 

 nary prairie, and suppose that the farmer wishes to put only one-tenth 

 of it in timber, which is far too little. This would make sixteen acres 

 to be planted. A belt eight rods wide on the north and west sides 

 of the farm will make fifteen and three-fifths acres, leaving the remain- 

 ing two-fifths of an acre a belt on the north and west sides of the 

 orchard and buildings. 



The distance apart at which the trees should be planted may vary 

 somewhat, depending on the kinds planted. Coniferous trees may be 

 planted closer than trees with spreading heads, but in open, exposed 

 situations it is always better to plant rather close, as the trees will pro- 

 tect each other from the summer suns and winter winds, will grow up 

 straight, thereby save one pruning, and will require less time in cultiva- 

 tion, as they will sooner destroy the weeds and grass by their shade, 

 and after this will need no more cultivation. 



Four by four feet is the best distance to plant coniferous trees. 

 Deciduous trees may be planted five by five or four by six feet. As 

 forest planting is yet in its infancy in this country, planters will be 

 likely to disagree as to the distances apart at which it is advisable to 

 plant. 



In Europe the rule is to plant very close, but there are reasons for 

 this close planting that do not occur in this country, one is close plant- 

 ing on moor land without plowing, to shade the ground as sot)n as 

 possible, and by this means destroy surface vegetation. 



In this country, where we are not afraid to work horses among the 

 trees, the horse and cultivator will destroy the weeds at very small 



