332 



ARBORICULTURE. 



the thick roots often descending straight 

 down for a distance of nearly six feet in 

 their search for water. 



Among the most attractive spots in the 

 barrens are the low places where the water 

 comes to the surface. Here the sand vegeta- 

 tion suddenly gives way to cranberry bogs set 

 t'hick with sundews, bladderworts and 

 pitcher-plants all busily engaged In trapping 

 insects. Or a greater depression may contain 

 a cedar swamp whose tangled depths are the 

 source of one of the amber-colored streams 

 which leisurely wander away tx) join one of 

 the numerous small rivers of south Jersey. 

 As one emerges from the plains in the direc- 

 tion of Wading river, these bogs become very 

 numerous, notwithstanding which, it is claim- 

 ed that there is no malaria there and the na- 

 tives drink from any running water with ui.- 

 punity. 



If one consults a map of this region, he 

 will find many places marked upon it whic;, 

 fail to materialize when search is made for 

 (hem. It usually turns out that they are th.- 

 sites of iron furnaces which were once em- 

 ployed in extracting iron from the bog ores. 

 With the diminution of the ore supply the 

 furnaces were gradually abandoned until ; 

 that now remains of many are ciiimbling 

 walls ajid decaying timbers about the holiowe 

 Where dwellings once stood. A few smaL 

 hamlets have managed to exist after the fires 

 in their furnaces died out, but the greater 

 number are deep in decay, tenanted only by 

 the lizard who delights to bask In the sun- 

 light upon their fallen walls. 



Arbokiculture has made frequent ref- 

 erence to this region as well as to the very 

 extensive tracts of sandy soil borderinjj- the 

 Atlantic Coast, from Cape Cod, jMassa- 

 chusetts, all over Long Island, the eastern 

 shore of New Jerse}^, Marylatid, Virginia, 

 both of the Carolinas and the larger por- 

 tion of Florida. 



Here are thousands of square miles O'f 

 almost barren sand deserts on which 1)ut 

 few agTicultural products can l)e protitablv 

 cultivated. Tracts of such low price as to 

 be almost valueless. Tliey bring no in- 

 come to the State or locality in which they 

 are situated, and, ol course, none to their 

 possessors^ — if they have any. 



The great stretch of coast line which 

 they border, dangerous to navigation, are 

 a constant source of expense to the govern- 

 ment in providing harbors and light- 

 houses. Yet these lands are pronounced to 

 be valueless. Whv should thev be ? 



Four centuries ago the entire coast of 

 the Atlantic was a wilderness of forest, 

 which has been made barren by the unwise 

 eourse pursued by Xation and States in 

 discouraging the presence of forests. Tho 

 timber has been cut and carried away, 

 leaving neither seed nor young trees to 

 reproduce the forests. 



Lumber and timbers then had Little im- 

 portance, but now they are gi-eatly en- 

 hanced in value with a prospect for a 

 famine at no distant day. 



All of these lands will become produc- 

 ti\ e of timber if sufficient interest can be 

 aroused to have it planted. 



Corporations which are such great con- 

 sumers of wood, and now find the supply 

 almost exhausted, would do well to (.(m- 

 sjder the extensive planting of these low- 

 priced sandy lands in order to insure an 

 ample supply when the natural forests 

 have ceased to furnish what they require. 



The ohjecfcion raised heretofore to the 

 planting of forests was the great length of 

 time reqtiired for trees to become useful — 

 from 150 to GOO or more yearh. 



This is still true for nearly all wood 

 that is now or has been in the market, as 

 shown 1)y numerous articles in Akboht- 

 CULTUKE. But it is not true with the 

 catalpa speciosa, which we have repeatedly 

 shown succeeds in all these sandy lands 

 and grows into merchantable lumher of 

 highest quality in a score of years. 



What an investment for a young man 

 who in twenty years can have an income 

 far greater than an investment of bonds 

 with their great uncertainty eliminated. 



The State of New Jersey may wath -i 

 moderate expenditure make these lands 

 the most productive of the State. 



Of course, though, some extraordinary 

 scientific fellow will say "the water table 

 is too near the surface," "the clay hard pan 

 is impervious," "the catalpa won't grow 

 there," and by various arguments attempt 



