WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWEBS' SOCIETY. 91 



corn, for its native habitat is rocky, hilly, and mountainous land. Yet it will 

 readily adapt itself to any soil and locality suitable for farming purposes, and 

 prove fruitful. This and the black chestnut are the delight of the small 

 boy in the fall of the year. Then why not grow them? They soon come 

 into bearing and will continue to bear bountiful crops of wholesome and de- 

 licious nuts for many generati )ns of boys in the dim future. These trees,^ 

 too, are ornamental and useful for many other purposes. The black walnut 

 is today the most valuable timber tree in this latitude. I would now rather 

 have a thrifty, growing, young black walnut orchard than an apple orchard 

 of equal extent and of the most approved varieties. Within the last thirty 

 years I have seen large, stately black walnut trees felled and split into com- 

 mon rails for fencing purposes, which if they were standing today and sound 

 would be worth more per tree than an acre of the best improved land upon 

 which they grew. The black walnut in its native state is not only a gcoi 

 tree, but always indicates a good soil. This fact should be remembered in 

 growing this tree. 



In timber culture due regard should be had for the different varieties of 

 timber and their adaptability to particular kinds of soil, also the various 

 periods of maturity of the various species. This knowledge will enable us 

 to grow different varieties upon the same tract of land to the best advantage. 

 For 200 years France has had her forestry laws for the protection and culture 

 of timber. In Germany the forestry and timber culture laws date still fur- 

 ther back, under which a system of forestry schools has been established, 

 which for thoroughness and system in every detail connected with the growth 

 of timber are superior to that of any other country. 



In many of the European countries much of the timber land is owned and 

 under the direct control of the governments. The forests are divided and 

 subdivided, as cities into wards and precincts. The police force, not being 

 influenced by ballots from trees, are expected to do impartial justice to all. 

 When the age of greatest usefulness of the various timbers has arrived, it is 

 removed and room is made for a new crop. In this way they have succeeded 

 in growing not only three times as much timber per acre as the unaided for- 

 est produces, but timber of superior quality. They thus make their forests 

 pay a revenue besides beautifying and adorning the country. We can hardly 

 imagine anything in nature more lovely and inviting than a clean, well kept 

 forest. The various periods of maturity or greatest usefulness is found to- 

 be as follows, in their latitude and under good manai^ement : Larch and 

 birch, 50 to 60 years; locust and maritime pine, 60 to 70 years; Scotch pine 

 50 to 90 years, beech 80 to 140 years, ash 90 to 100, chestnut 90 to 120, 

 spruce 90 to 140, fir 100 to 140, elm 100 to 140, oak 100 to 200. Our black 

 walnut will probably require nearly the same time as chestnut. 



For roadside planting the rock maple is perhaps one of the most desirable 

 trees we have — easy to propagate, a free grower, and cleanly in all seasons. 

 To give the best satisfaction it should be transplanted into nursery grounds a 

 year or two before being permanently transplanted. This tree when old 

 enough will furnish refreshing shade in summer, a delicious sweet in spring, 

 and a valuable wood for manufacturing purposes. 



I can not help noting here the great service rendered the cause of timber 

 culture in this and other states by that indefatigable worker, C. W. Garfield, 

 in the last report of the State Horticultural Society. The collations, report, 

 opinions, experiments, therein set forth and given to the world, although in 



