STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 243 



pond with the most energetic horticulturists or agriculturists of each county, prcpound- 

 ing such inquiries as would besl elicit the required Information. The facts from such 

 sources would be highly successful; points in dispute would be settled by the clear 

 logic of statistics on experience, and failures need not be repeated indefinitely all over 

 the country, while the knowledge of successes would stimulate others to emulate them. 

 But, for suihYient reasons, such a survey was impracticable at this time. 



An earnest effort has been made to stimulate and advance a noble calling, and while 

 we bespeak a lenient criticism for shortcomings, we hope by this nrsl report to set the 

 great work forward a stage, to contribute some new and useful knowledge, aud to 

 promote generally the interests of the industrial classes of the community. 



Trees become the objects of our care and cultivation in two ways. Either we find 

 them ready propagated by nature in the indigenous forests and copses, and our work 

 Incomes one of preservation, assistance and improvement ; or, desiring them in artificial 

 sites, we plant and propagate them to suit our taste or profit. The first may, with 

 some degree of propriety, be termed "Natural Arboriculture," and the second " Artificial 

 Arboriculture." Strangely enough, Natural Arboriculture is almost a neglected pursuit 

 even in our sparsely timbered region. 



That the possessor of valuable grove or timber land should care for, cultivate and 

 improve his possessions seems only rational, yet such is not generally the case ; on the 

 contrary, with a high disregard of economical consideration, all the natural destructive 

 tendencies go on unchecked, and often civilization adds others. 



In nearly all localities in Northern Illinois the natural timber supply was found to be 

 inadequate long before the whole area was in possession of actual residents ; importation 

 of building and manufacturing woods, began long before the railroads furnished trans- 

 portation, and have continued in an increasing ratio of almost geometrical proportion. 

 Coal, corn-cobs and Eastern and Northern lumber and timber have been used to fill the 

 void, and cash or grain, in an exhausting stream, had to flow out as the wood flowed in. 



But still the almost wanton destruction of young growing timber went on and is going 

 on to-day. Growths which were paying taxes and a good interest on capital by their 

 constantly increasing value, are destroyed by the short-sighted policy which looks upon 

 the available dollar as much more valuable than the invested dollar. The goose that 

 ■was laying the golden egg was slaughtered. 



If the immense sums of hard earned cash which annually go out of our State for 

 lumber, timber, and agricultural machinery, (wholly or in part constructed of wood) 

 could be retained at home, and if the young White Oaks, Shelbarks, Ashes and Elms 

 slaughtered, could be preserved and cultivated into useful size, and if in addition mil- 

 lions of Pines, Larches, Spruces and other lumber trees could be planted and culti- 

 vated to some large size, 60 that home consumption could be met by home production, 

 the people of Illinois would be enriched beyond computation — beyond the dreams of 

 the most enthusiastic of our disciples of Horticulture. 



But it will be said all this takes time. — it cannot be for a century at least. The best 

 possible answer to that objection is that it must be in time, and that in no very remote 

 time. Civilization will have to weep over a lack of new sylvan worlds to conquer, 

 before our grandsons shall have grown gray with age. And the State or Community 

 which starts first and makes the best progress in producing a home supply of fuel and 

 manufacturing woods, will have a powerful advantage over other communities not 

 so heedful of their true interests. 



