288 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



tions warranted an attempt at forestation. The examination resulted in 

 the setting aside of about 80,000 acres in the worst portion of the hills 

 between the ]\liddle Loup and Dismal rivers as a national forest. The 

 flats along the Loup afforded very favorable sites for the forest nursery, 

 and, since it was thought best to raise the stock in the hills, a permanent 

 station was established on the south side of the Loup about two miles 

 west of Halsey in Thomas CountJ^ 



In the spring of 1903 small jack pines were imported from Minne- 

 sota and these were set out on the hills. During this summer the forest 

 imrsery was started and from that time the Forest Service has con- 

 tinued to raise its own stock in its own nursery and every spring to plant 

 thousands of trees upon the hills. Naturally there have* been mistakes 

 and failures, but after almost a decade of active operations on the Dis- 

 mal River National Forest, one can not but marvel at the results ob- 

 tained, if he is at all familiar with the extreme natural conditions that 

 the government's experts have attempted to meet. The pine trees that 

 were planted in 1903 are now about twelve feet in height and four inches 

 in diameter. The bunch-grasses have been shaded out and a fine carpet 

 of pine needles is beginning to accumulate beneath the green crowns of 

 this young Sand Hill forest. So also, as I was able to demonstrate during 

 the past summer, the temperature of air and soil, the humidity and 

 evaporation, and the movements of the air in the vicinity of this planta- 

 tion have been profoundly modified .in comparison to those conditions in 

 the bunch-grass association that completely surrounds these plantations. 

 It is a most interesting and significant fact that the trees have adjusted 

 themselves more readily to the fury of the wind on the hilltops and 

 even in the blow-outs than to the struggle with other vegetation in the 

 moister and more protected situations. Mr. Pierce, the supervisor of the 

 Nebraska National Forest, told me in October that eighty per cent of the 

 trees planted in 1911 had passed through the summer drought and were 

 making a brave effort to become permanent fixtures in the Sand Hill 

 landscape. 



The forest nursery established in 1903 has been enlarged from time 

 to time until now it covers about five acres. When all of the s6ed beds 

 are in use the nursery can care for about four million seedlings and two 

 million transplants. The care of the delicate seedlings requires a great 

 amount of skill and a large force of men in order that they may be kept 

 free from disease and develop perfectly for the planting on the hills. 



While it will be many years in the future before any return will be 

 realized from this enormous experiment of the government's, yet the 

 success of the first decade certainly warrants the continuation of the 

 experiment. It is hoped that at some distant time acres of flourishing 

 pine trees will grace many of the hills now so completely dominated by 

 the bunch-grass. 



The people of the Sand Hills are a hale and hardy lot. Their life is a 

 rather hard one, even if they take advantage of every comfort possible 

 for them. Many of them were lured by the roseate stories of the early 



