70 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



farmer for making what is called net stakes, which are used with a net as a 

 temporary fence in a large fiekl of turnips, where their sheep are fed in winter 

 and where a small space is inclosed at a time till tlie whole field is eaten and 

 used up. These thinnings are also used in pallisade fencing, etc. As the 

 trees continue to grow up pretty thick together, the tendency is for the small, 

 lower hranches to die off, and after a certain time, when about twenty or thirty 

 feet high, another thinning will be found necessary, and those cut out are 

 sawed for a kind of fence board. The remaining trees of the plantation have 

 in this way got room to grow to full size. I have here been speaking of an 

 entire plantation of pine and larch, but sometimes, where tlie land is good and 

 capable of growing hardwood, a certain number of these are planted along with 

 the pines, which latter arc gradually cut out to give due relief, so that ulti- 

 mately, the hardwood will occupy the whole space. 



A GOOD SHOWING. 



The landlord class in both England and Scotland are now fully realizing the 

 great importance of making large plantations of all sorts of timber trees. It 

 was begun about GO or 70 years ago and has been going on increasing; but it 

 got a great impetus when railroads became a fact, especially in oak and larch 

 timber, which is now used for tics. While all this iias added greatly to the 

 beauty of the landscape, it has also been a great source of profit to the agri- 

 cultural interest, especially on some of the higher grounds, in affording shelter 

 for slieep and cattle in winter; valuable crops of both grain and turnips are 

 now being raised on lands which formerly were a bleak and barren sheep-walk. 



I have been giving this description of the planting and rearing of pine tim- 

 ber with an eye to tlie future interests of Michigan, but on looking at some of 

 our great neighboring States to the south and west of us, we see extensive and 

 fertile prairies stretching out in all directions, witli scarcely a tree to meet the 

 eye except sometimes a few 'round a farm homestead. We see abundant crops 

 of wlieat and corn, with other farm produce, which shows the land is rich and 

 capable of growing all sorts of timber trees, provided they were only phmted 

 and cultivated. We see also, that in these prairie States great quantities of 

 timber is required for the construction of buildings, fences, railroad ties and 

 many other purposes, but as yet there has been comparatively no systematic 

 effort made to grow a future supply of timber. 



TREE PLANTING ON PRAIKIES. 



For expediency and economy all large plantations that are being made adja- 

 cent to or surrounded by cultivated land should be laid out in a square form. 

 It may either be a long strip of a few rods across, or an entire regular square, 

 suitable to the convenience of the farm and other surroundings of the ])lace. 

 I am not speaking of landscape gardening, or how a good residence should be 

 placed in a park, properly laid out and surrounded with a certain amount of 

 evergreen and ornamental trees. This is also a subject of great importance,, 

 especially in some of our western states, where large and fine houses nuiy some- 

 times be seen improperly placed, and with certain surroundings which are any- 

 thing but ornamental. Taking it for granted that the square form is the best, 

 as it stands in relation to farming operations, and that the best season for 

 planting is spring, especially in our northern states, we j^roceed to prepare for 

 the work. If the land has been in previous cultivation it would be well to 

 have it prepared in the fall, the same as if for wheat or any other crop. Our 

 first operation is to have the land marked off into squares in something of the- 



