304 ARBORICULTURE. 



HICKORY FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES dividuals, except that New York has 

 ARE BEING DESTROYED BY INSECTS. planted some spruce and pine, but car- 

 Chicago, December 21. — "Increasing riage wood's have been neglected, 

 scarcity of hickory wood in the United The serious condition of the hickory 

 States has alarmed the manufacturers of supply has largely been brought about 

 wooden vehicles to such an extent that at by immense quantity of young hickory 

 a meeting here to-day oi over 200 repre- poles of from ten to twenty years' 

 sentatives of these manufacturers the ad- growth whidh have been cut for cooper- 

 visability of taking the matter before age stock, as it takes five trees to make 

 Congress was discussed. Hickory trees the hoops for oue barrel, while a lard or 

 recently have been attacked by an insect pork barrel requires ten or more trees, 

 which, it is said, is fast destroying that By this practice there is no young stock 

 class of timber. At to-day's meeting it of hickory left to grow into lumber trees, 

 was declared that, unless the Government w'hile the price obtained for cooperage 

 took action in devising means whereby stock is infinitesimal, 

 these insects can be kept from breeding. Hickory will grow on almost any soil 

 in ten years practically all the hickory and upon mountain and rough lands, 

 trees in the United States will have been while such locations have a very low 

 destroyed," value, being unprofitable for cultivation 



"There are now but three States froni in farm crops, 

 which we can draw our supplies," said So long as carriage manufacturers ab- 



P. F. Van Behren, of Evansville, Ind., solutely refuse to consider the future 



"and hickory trees are becoming extinct prospective of lumber, and will not en- 



in ^liese States. The shortage in this ar- courage the work of forest planting, they 



tide, which is the most essential compo- must not complain when the supply 



nent of a wooden vehicle, probably will finally ceases and their business must 



necessitate a general rise in prices of all end, 



wooiden vehicles," Arboriculture has brought this 

 Just w'hat the Government may be able question to the attention of manufactur- 

 to accomplish is not very apparent, al- ers during many years past, and urged 

 though presumably the Entomological the restricting of the hoop-pole cutting 

 Bureau is expected to perform this he- and the planting of timber trees. One 

 roic task, prominent carriage builder met the prop- 

 It is strange the Forestry Bureau can osition with the argument that "in future 

 not make some efforts toward planting vehicles will be built of compressed pa- 

 more hickory and other economic forest per," but he forgot that the paper must 

 trees. Certainly Congress would provide be made of wood, and the wood must 

 funds for such work if it were asked for first be grown. 



by the forestry officials. Automobile wheels are made of steel 

 There is some effort being made in wire and rubber, but these are very ex- 

 Texas and other Southern States toward pensive, while farm vehicles and road 

 pecan culture, but this is only for the wagons, carriages, etc., would become 

 nuts. There is absolutely no planting be- very costly if made of these materials, 

 ing done bv either State or National and by no means as strong or satisfactory 

 Government, and but little by private in- as when made of good hickory wood. 



