262 



ARBORICULTRE 



WOOD AS A CROP. 

 Philaihlphia Jiecord. 



The wood crop is a valuable one, and 

 the only obstacle in the way is the length 

 of time required for its maturity. Grow- 

 ing trees for timber requires no labor 

 after the young trees are planted, other 

 than to clear out the ground until they 

 are well started, for once they secure pos- 

 session they will crowd down all opposi- 

 tion. The capital invested will be the 

 land, the value of which depends on its 

 location, quality and adaptation to more 

 immediate and remunerative crops. It is 

 claimed that forest growth increases the 

 rainfall, promotes healthfulncss and ren- 

 ders the climate less variable, as well as 

 serving to mitigate the force of winds 

 and preventing destruction of buildings 

 and crops. There are sections where the 

 walnut can be grown to perfection, and 

 many of the choice timbers used in the 

 arts can be grown and made to produce 

 knots until the time arrives for cutting 

 down the trees. There are thousands of 

 acres of land that cannot be conveniently 

 worked with the aid of farm implements, 

 such as hillsides, mountain slopes and 

 rocky lands that are too stony for culti- 

 vation. The growth of timber along the 

 roadsides would serve as protection 

 against drifting snows and scorching suns 

 and also add to the beauty and orna- 

 mentation of the grounds. The trees 

 will sometimes grow where other crops 

 fail, and by utilizing the unprofitable 

 lands there would, in time, be derived a 

 large return, while a general tree plant- 

 ing by the whole community would great- 

 ly aid in mitigating the severity of 

 drought, also tempering the cold of win- 

 ter. Arbor day has been instituted witli 

 a view of inducing co-operative effort in 

 tree planting, but the work can be best 

 promoted by the farmers' rlnbs and by a 

 joint operation of the farmers in an en- 

 tire section. Allowing each tree thirty 

 feet of room (that is, planting the trees 

 thirty feet apart in checked rows), an 

 acre will permit of about fifty trees. 

 They will not be ready for market, to be 

 sawed up into lumber, until they are 

 about twentv vojir«; of ncfo. Their value 



will then depend on the kind of trees 

 and the number of feet of lumber that 

 can be sawed from each tree. If the trees 

 are twenty-five feet apart, about sixty- 

 five trees can be grown on an acre, but 

 the closer the trees the slower the growth 

 and the sooner they must be cut down. 

 Each acre of land can be made to pro- 

 duce $1,000 in choice trees in twenty 

 years, or at the rate of $25 per acre an- 

 nually, while the yield of nuts will more 

 than pay the interest on the capital. No 

 correct estimate can be made of the value 

 of an acre of walnut. In Indiana re- 

 cently trees sold at the rate of $3,000 per 

 acre, but they were very large. If an ap- 

 plication of ashes be given the trees 

 every year the growth will be increased. 

 The profit arises from the utilization of 

 land that would remain idle if not occu- 

 pied by trees. 



Colorado 



LAND BOARD ASKS EXCHANGE. 



The Land Board of the State of Colo- 

 rado will submit to the United States 

 government authorities, through Regis- 

 ter Woodruff, a proposition to exchange 

 agricultural land for all of its timber 

 land. The State has not the means to 

 properly protect its forests, and would 

 in any event prefer to have agricultural 

 lands, as they are the more valuable for 

 State uses. 



The proposition is an excellent one. 

 The State of Colorado is totally unable 

 to protect its timbers from spoliation, 

 and will not expend any money to pre- 

 vent extensive con fiagrat ions. If the 

 United States will do both, and it can if 

 it wishes, it would be far better for all 

 concerned that such a trade should be 

 made. Bui if no better care is to be 

 given the timber than has heretofore 

 been accorded by the State and Nation, 

 then it matter> little which or who is the 

 possessor. 



