arboricultukp:. 



329 



THE BUCKEYE. 



A KAriDLY GUOWJXG TlilvK KOI; r.M'F);. 



Mr. Will. H. Gill, \'inhiml, Kansas, 

 writes : 



"I think you are in a much needed 

 worlc in your ARiiOKCULi'UKF.; but you are 

 no lonsrer working alone. A cry for the 

 saving of the forests conies from all sides. 



In several of your articles you ha^e 

 given the enormous qnantity of wood con- 

 sumed in making pulp. 



The most worthless tree that I kno\\' ot 

 U the Buckeye. It is also the tastes': 

 grower, and easily ground into pulp. 

 Could not waste land be utilized for grow- 

 ing the buckeye for paper ?" 



The BucKioYE, Aesculus, or Horse; 

 Chestnut, is broadly distributed and in a 

 dozen varieties. The large forest tree. 

 The Ohto Buckeye, Aesculus glahm. 

 was formerly very abundant from Penn- 

 &ylvania west to the Missiissippi Eiver, 

 gro'^nng to height of 100 feet. 



While Ae. Ptirrifora is a- slirub 3 to G 

 feet hiigh. 



In the mountains of California A r-. 

 Calif ornica is common, usually 3 to -t feet 

 high, but at times 15 feet. 



There are many varieties known but 

 for the purpose of making wood pulp (^iily 

 the large growing trees, Ae. Hippocasfa- 

 num, Ae. Pavui, Eed Buckeye, Ae. GInhra, 

 should be considered. 



The Horse Chestnut of the nurserie.- i> 

 strictly an ornamental tree, from Eurc]^.', 

 not of any economic value. 



The Buckeye produces large roun'r.sb. 

 nuts, having a prominent scar upon one 

 side. 'Usually two or three seeds are oro- 

 duced in one hull. The latter are smootl; 

 in some forms or have numerous spines la 

 (►ther varieties. The trees are all sciue- 

 what ornamental in appearance, altbough 

 having a coarse foliage. The Buckeye is 

 found in all kinds of soils, and can be cul- 



tivated on \ery rough ground, heucj may 

 Ije utilized for wood where other trees 

 v.ould have difficulty in securing a foot- 

 bold. Still they do better in good soil. 



In early days of Indiana the Buckeye 

 was sought for the purpose of making 

 n'oodeii bowls for the kitchen, the vrcod 

 being interlaced and not easily broken or 

 Clacked by alternate wet and dry condi- 

 tions. 



As a fuel it was never used, being soft 

 and ditlicult to split into firewood. 



The nuts or seed are poisonous and fre- 

 ([uently cattle were killed, "buckeycd," 

 from eating them. I'here is a reasonable 

 doubt but this tree would become very 

 profitable for planting systematically for 

 the special purpose of making pulp. l'*rjb- 

 ably the greatest difficidty would be in se- 

 curing a sufficient quantity of seed, now 

 tluit the Buckeye has almost disappeared 

 witli other American forest trees. 



Ai:boricijI;TU1!E has often advised the 

 extensive planting of the dwarf buckeye in 

 semi arid regions as nurse trees, beneath 

 the shade and protection afforded by thife 

 ]'a})i(l form of vegetation from wind and 

 storms, for the growing of pine coniferou'? 

 and other more valuable trees which ciin 

 not readily ol)taiin a foothold without such 

 nurses. 



The Buckeye has never been found of 

 uf for lumber, or so far as we are aware 

 for any economic purpose other than what 

 we have mentioned, but it certainly has a 

 good paper fiber, and should be planted 

 largely. ■" 



A CRIME OP THE WOODS. 



A sturdy oak — iits spreading brandies filled 

 An acre round where ages it had stood — 

 The sinless monarch of this mighty wood 

 Till one there came who with a vandal's 



power 

 Sent crashing earthward in a single hour 

 What God required three centuries to build 



— Alter t B. Paine. 



