ARBORICULTL'RK 



comprises the alder, s^ray birch, scarlet 

 maple and dwarf oaks, while hickory, 

 walnut. calalj)a and tlu' lar^e oaks are 

 deep-rooted forms. 



Cultivation in farm crops for a lonj^: 

 period of years exhausts the humus or 

 vei;etable mold, wliich is decomposed and 

 absorbed by the growing crops, and such 

 soils become less and less productive. 

 Besides, erosion is constantly removing;- 

 the best surface soil, especially on rolling- 

 lands when loosened by the plow. 



Such lands will be improved by a term 

 of vears in forest, being renewed in fer- 

 tility, after which they may again be con- 

 verted into farm lands. On a recent visit 

 to your state I observed closely the condi- 

 tion of the Berkshire Hills. The trees 

 are scattering and I saw* no timber such 

 as we would term a forest. There are no 

 forest conditions, so far as I could ascer- 

 tain. 



Profitable timber growth requires that 

 the land be given up to the trees and that 

 there be enough trees on the ground to 

 properly shade it. Yet the other extreme 

 should be avoided ; they should not be so 

 close together as to rob each other and 

 prevent a steady, vigorous development. 



New England leads in the manufac- 

 tures, the dense population requiring such 

 industries as shall give remunerative em- 

 ployment to the greatest number. 



These manufactories demand vast 

 quantities of lumber, the box trade alone 

 being one of immense proportions. But 

 the lumbermen are robbing their success- 

 ors and the community when they manu- 

 facture box boards of poles and baby 

 trees which should grow a score of years 

 yet. 



lliere will always be a demand for 

 lumber to keep these thousands of me- 

 chanics employed. Your inferior dwarf 

 growths will not supply this demand, but 

 you may i^row trees in two decades which 

 will furnish all the luml)cr needecl. 



In order to change the old natural in- 

 ferior growths into new, more vigorous 

 and profitable forest, I would suggest cut- 

 ting openings, probably four feet wide, 

 at intervals of twenty feet, more or less, 

 destroying every tree in these openings, 

 unless it is a desirable tree to leave. 



On these lines may be planted nuts of 

 walnut, hickory, chestnut or red oak, the 



kitter being the most rapidly maturing of 

 the oaks. 



( )r one-year trees may be set. of white 

 ash. chestnut, catalpa and similar trees of 

 rapid growth. 



C )r white pine, nursery grown, of threi' 

 or four years from the seed. 



Two iumdred trees, perhaps, per acre. 

 Tlie natural forest conditions already 

 l)rovided with well-established nurse trees^ 

 for protection of the young timber, gives 

 you great advantage over the western 

 prairies, favoral)le to forest growth. As 

 these trees become established and require 

 greater room for their roots, more of the 

 nurse trees may lie removed as found 

 necessary. 



(irowing pine from seed is a slow and 

 wasteful process. Probably not more 

 than one seed in ten thousand, in nature, 

 makes a tree, and not much better result 

 can be expected when seed is strewn 

 through the woods. While seedlings, 

 well rooted, may be purchased at western 

 nurseries at $8 per 1,000, thus costing 

 but $1.50 per acre. 



Catalpa trees are worth about one cent 

 each, asii ami many other good trees cost- 

 ing half as much. 



There is no adage more true than that 

 "The gods help those who help them- 

 selves." 



It is very certain that nature will not 

 improve New England forests without 

 the aid of you who occupy the land. 



New and better trees, and such as ma- 

 ture (juickly. will never be planted here by 

 natural methods. 



Manufacturers will cry in vain for 

 lumber unless some special and speedy 

 methods are adopted to provide an ample 

 supply. 



Railways, ere long, will transport from 

 long distances millions of cross ties un- 

 less the trees are planted here to produce 

 these ties at home. 



Earmers will never get rich in selling 

 cordwood cut from the inferior growths 

 which now occupy their waste lands. 



Your shoe manufacturers, while pri- 

 marily using leather may yet have to 

 adopt cowhide packages in which to 

 transport the enormous out])ut of New 

 I'lngland shoes, unless the pine can be 

 induced to grow more rapidly or some- 

 other tree take its place. 



