H6 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The cry that the great pines say to each other, 'Sister, the ax has scarred 

 me, tool ]\Iy brother, we die, we die," found women anxious to arrange 

 to stop the depredation, to further the reforesting of the wastes and to 

 help in carrying on the work of proper foresting. 



Eight years ago the women took up the work, believing that they 

 must do something to preserve our forests. They found how lamentable 

 was the neglect of our country of her best assets. .Japan has practiced 

 forestry for a thousand years. France commenced in the time of the 

 great Napoleon. Germany has a forestry law that whoever cuts a tree 

 must plant three; but our first reserve was made under President Cleve- 

 land. Having found the needed work, woman's first question was what 

 to do. She saw wise legislation was needed. She saw that every state, 

 whether wooded or destitute of trees, should have intelligent laws pro- 

 viding for a due proportion of forest area. "When we saw that legis- 

 lation was so tied up and the question not coming to a vote we realized 

 the importance of this burning question. We saw that something must 

 be done which would make it possible, after five years' work in congress, 

 to pass the bill providing for the protection and salvage of the White 

 mountains, which were being denuded at the rate of 300 acres a day. 

 When the bill had carried unanimously in the United States senate and 

 had a clear majority for its passage in the house, it should have been 

 allowed to come to a vote. 



There are different problems for each state to solve, and one of the 

 greatest is the protection of the water sheds. We will not have any 

 real water sheds until we get trees planted. Western Nebraska is desti 

 tute of trees. 



We should also have the help of the landscape gardener in beautifying 

 the ground close to bridges. We recommend the uniform planting of 

 trees, and in trying to interest towns and cities to uniformly plant trees 

 along the streets, thus beautifying the city. Boys and girls should be 

 taught how to plant trees and shrubs for beauty. Some one in the 

 state of Delaware wanted two rows of trees planted across the state. 

 The same thing has been recommended for Nebraska. I am not pre- 

 pared to state the value of such a proposition nor the beauty of it. 



Woman has started a campaign of publicity and education. She is 

 reaching the people through the press. The Nebraska committee recom- 

 mended and secured speakers at chautauquas and lecture courses to 

 speak on conservation. She has now a movement on foot to have forestry 

 placed in the text-books of our schools where possible. A concerted 

 movement this year is to be brought about in the entire country. 



Another thing, every farm should have its wood lot, its own proper 

 tion of trees. Especially is this true of the sandhill country. Give the 

 sandhills plenty of trees — that is Father Harrison's recommendation; 

 and then every city should have its parks. The great need of Nebraska 

 is trees. Something we must have is a state forestry association. We 

 must secure legislation along the line of forestry. We must have con- 

 servation. Horticulture needs conservation. 



