WINTER MEETING, 1879. 71 



same ^vay as we in-epare for planting corn. The marker Avhich I use would be 

 a plow, with which I would run a straight furrow, as deep as convenient, 

 making the lines four feet apart. Having made all these parallel furrows on 

 one square, we commence at the outside of the other at the same distance and 

 at the same depth of furrow, and when finished the wliole plat will stand out in 

 squares of four feet. This shows exactly how many trees will be i-equired, as 

 one will be placed at each intersection. If not deep enough foi- the loot.s of 

 the tree, a very little work with a spade will make it all right, .and tiien with a 

 boy holding the tree a man can soon fill in sulficient clay to cover the roots, 

 when a good tread round the tree will finish the work of planting. 



CULTIVATION. 



I would recommend cultivation for two or three years till the trees begin to 

 cover the ground and so keep down a growth of grass and strong weeds. In 

 making such a plantatioii there ought to be certain spaces left for a road — a 

 wagon way. When the process of thinning and cutting out is necessarily gone 

 into, every thing can be collected and got out with care and convenience, and 

 one thing should be strictly guarded against, allow no accumulation of dry 

 tops and underbrush to remain, but collect and burn it so as not to endanger 



a general coniiagration. 



THE KIKDS TO PLAKT. 



In regard to the kinds of trees to be planted, that in a great measure depends 

 on circumstances, as the kind of soil adapted to the growth of certain varie- 

 ties, and especially what kinds are in greatest request for general purposes. 

 There may be some landed proprietors whose chief object in planting may not 

 be so much for timber as for having a belt or windbreak combinino: an orna- 

 ment in summer with shade and shelter for stock and the farm buildins^s in 

 winter. I consider that no windbreak should be less than four rods wide with 

 room for a wagon road in the middle. If intended to shelter from prevailing 

 west winds, I would recommend the planting of two rows of Xorway spruce on 

 that side and one row of the same or some other dense evergreen tree on the 

 east side. This would give both a finished and ornamental appearance, and in 

 the intervening central spaces might be planted a variety of our finest decidu- 

 ous hard-wood trees to give a pleasing and varied effect to the whole planta- 

 tion. 



As every farm should have a good orchard, it would be well to have this so 

 placed and arranged as to come under the shelter of this grove. The whole 

 thing should be got up to combinfiand ensure three great objects of farm life — 

 the useful, the ornamental, and the profitable — and I am certain that if this 

 object in beautifying the farm homestead was more carefully attended to there 

 would be fewer of our farmers' sons leaving the paternal roof. 



DUTY or THE GOVERNMENT. 



The government and state were the original possessors of the soil, and have 

 sold and granted a great amount of this, but still possess vast quantities in 

 certain districts to be so disposed of or used as they may see fit. Now on some 

 of this there is still a great amount of good timber of various kinds, and as 

 all sorts are now getting scarce and valuable, this ought not only to ba pre- 

 served, but so managed and improved m the way of forestry as greatly to 

 enhance its value for the future. I consider that this great source of national 

 wealth, so very essential to our future welfare, should come more especially 



