40 



ARBORICULTURE 



with alcohol or other powerful solvents, 

 yet the trees can not exist if not supplied 

 with water. 



It took this struggling ash a third of a 

 century to reach a height of twenty-five 

 feet and a diameter of two inches. 



But at this period of its existence, in 

 the year of 1819, a large majority of its 

 fellows gave up the hopeless task of liv- 

 ing without water when the tree before 

 us took entire possession by its natural 

 strength. "The survival of the fittest." 

 The battle having been won, a mar- 

 velous change came over this denison of 

 the forest. History written in its trunk 

 shows the remarkable growth for nearly 

 half a century of half an inch diameter 

 yearly, since it added twenty-three inches 

 in the forty-five years succeeding. 



In 1864 another change occurred. The 

 farmer cut away most of the trees in his 

 wood lot, thus destroying all forest con- 

 ditions, when the fertile virgin soil was 

 soon eroded so that the rains no longer 

 soaked into the earth, but ran quickly 

 away to the streams. 



From this time on the increase in 

 growth was reduced to one-eighth inch 

 per annum, and during the last forty 

 years it added but five inches to its trunk, 

 and in 1905 the tree was cut for lumber. 

 Thus upon the rolling hills of Indiana 

 we find history plainly recorded in the 

 trunk of an ash tree, the life of wbich 

 connected three centuries.. Its greatest 

 value was attained during the American 

 Civil War, at which period the wood 

 was strong, tough, elastic, full of life and 

 vigor, since which time it has been in the 

 process of decadence. From the present 

 scarcity of lumber it may command more 

 money than it would have done forty 

 years ago, when timber was more abun- 

 dant, yet the quality of the wood has 

 steadily decreased. 



MORAL. 



We are entering upon an era of arti- 

 ficial forest planting, and it is important 

 that we begin aright. A regular max- 

 imum growth may be maintained by giv- 

 ing ample room for root development, as 

 upon this devolves the proper nourish- 

 ment of each and every tree. 



As the trees expand and extend their 

 roots, requiring greater space, the sur- 

 plus trees should be removed. 



If natural forest conditions do not 

 exist, and can not be produced, substitute 

 thorough but shallow cultivation until • 

 the trees naturally supply such condi- 

 tions by strewing leaves and casting a 

 shade. 



When timber is ripe harvest it while 

 yet in its prime, and plant other trees to 

 continue the supply, before the soil shall 

 be eroded and lost forever to the owner. 



Note. — All the water which is precep- 

 itated during an ordinary rainfall does 

 not enter the soil, much depending upon 

 the forest floor or mulching of leaves, 

 etc. ; usually much of the water flows 

 away to the streams. If this forest floor 

 has been destroyed, the proportion of 

 rainfall which enters the soil is much 

 smaller, and if the surface be hard, with 

 considerable slope, the quantity which 

 soaks into the earth to benefit growing 

 crops is infinitisimal. 



A rainfall of twenty inches per annum 

 amounts to 55.39 cubic inches weekly 

 average, a quart being 57-75 cubic 

 inches. 



The planting of forest trees 4x4 feet 

 as demanded by authorities requires 

 2,722 trees per acre. Nature is lavish 

 with her seed, and at times sows even 

 more than this number, depending upon 

 time to destroy a vast majority in order 

 that the remaining few shall have suffi- 

 cient space in which to grow. 



