ARBORICULTURE. 



295 



it was simply a question of imposing Ijurdens 

 on the individual the great tariff doctors were 

 indifferent to the cry for reform. But now. 

 when great industries, hitherto believed to be 

 the beneficiaries of protection, are beginning to 

 protest against high taxes on their trade and 

 industry, we have a very different situation. 

 There is not an industry in the United States 

 that uses steel that would not favor a practical 

 elimination of the duties which now sci ve to 

 enrich the steel trust. And so of the lumber 

 duties, which are a heavy tax on industry. 

 Secretary Root, in his recent plea for the ship- 

 subsidy proposition, admitted that our high 

 tariff had been, and was, bad for our shipping 

 industry. The agricultural-implement men are 

 earnestly in favor of tariff revision. So are the 

 manufacturers of furniture. And, as we have 

 said, every manufacturer who is forced to buy, 

 at almost prohibitive prices, his raw material 

 of a protected trust is convinced that the time 

 has come for a readjustment of our tariff. — 

 The Indianapolis Neivs. 



The stand-patters in Congress will do well 

 to heed the demand of the people and speedily 

 modify the unjust discriminating tariff. Ar- 

 boriculture indorses the sentiment as ex- 

 pressed in The News. 



OBITUARY. 



Thomas H. Douglas, son of the late R. Doug- 

 las, nurseryman of international fame, died at 

 Los Angeles, Cal., March 25, 1907, where he 

 had been in poor health for some time. Mr. 

 Douglas was born in Waukegan, 111., July 31, 

 1852, and from early manhood took a deep in- 

 terest in forestry. He assisted in planning and 

 planting the largest plantation of Catalpa spe- 

 ciosa in the world, located at Farlington, Kan. 

 In 1887 Mr. Douglas went to California as 

 State Forester for the Board of Forestry, and 

 was located at Santa Monica ; this office he re- 

 signed to take charge of the planting on the 

 grounds of the Leland Stanford Universitj', 

 after which he returned to Waukegan. In 1892 

 he accompanied his father on their memorable 

 trip through the mountainous sections of the 

 Northwest, gathering seeds of the evergreen 

 trees. An accident which befell Mr. Douglas 

 on this trip so impaired his health that he 

 never fully recovered from its effects, and it is 

 thought was indirectly the cause of his fatal 



illness. Air. Douglas was an ardent student of 

 nature ; he possessed one of the largest collec- 

 tions of birds' eggs in this country, and was a 

 frequent contributor to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution at Washington, D. C. His remains were 

 taken to Waukegan, where they were buried 

 Sunday, April 7th. A widow and two brothers 

 survive him. The latter will continue the busi- 

 ness of R. Douglas' Sons. 



Mr. John P. Bronni, Connersvil'.c, Ind.: 



My De.\r Mr. Brown : The five hundred 

 Catalpa spcciosa arrived in splendid condition. 

 They were much larger specimens than I ex- 

 pected, and will form a nucleus for the intro- 

 duction of this species in this section. I sin- 

 cerely hope it will stop all sale of the useless 

 Catalpa bignunioidcs. I have tried to get them 

 so started as will insure their distribution into 

 valuable* quarters in this part of the United 

 States. 



The enthusiasm, earnestness and self-sacri- 

 ficing spirit you show for the good cause of the 

 reforestration of our country is a perfect mar- 

 vel to me. The opposition from the Govern- 

 ment, some of the leading railroads and some 

 of the nurserymen has only stirred you up to 

 such an extent as to make you irresistible. I 

 feel now that you are past the "divide," and 

 that the future will be "down hill" and easy to 

 you, and that the country in general and rail- 

 roads in particular will have learned the needed 

 lesson. The terrible accident near Pittsburg, 

 where they were experimenting with metal ties, 

 ought to help the cause. 



We not only need the trees for lumber pur- 

 poses, but much more for climatic conditions. 

 When we get fully awake we will have laws — 

 and better than that, laws enforced — which will 

 stop all destruction of all grown trees except 

 where other trees in sufficient numbers are 

 planted in their stead. 



Thanking you most heartily for the trees 

 sent, and wishing and hoping for the greatest 

 success in your ardent labors in behalf of the 

 good of America, I am. 



Sincerely your friend, 



Austin C. Apgar. 



Trenton, N. J. 



Small Farm for Sale. — Thirty-five acres 

 good land, three miles from Indianapolis ; small 

 house, well, good fences. Address John P. 

 Brown, Connersville, Ind. 



