186 NEBRASKA ST^TE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



themselves for $5,000 or $10,000 and buy lands which are now $50 to $100 

 an acre and forest these tracts, and it would be ten to fifteen years before 

 any revenue can be derived therefrom. Will the people do it? I do not 

 know. I think it would be a good thing to do just as an example to 

 show what can be done in Nebraska. But as a lawyer I want to say 

 that I do not think there is legislative authority to do that; that is, 

 to purchase lands and plant trees for the purposes of profit. There is 

 authority for the creation of parks for park purposes, but the definition 

 of a park is not such as would include the planting of trees and main- 

 taining tracts for profit only. So if you go into this matter as a munici- 

 pality you must do it under the law authorizing the purchase and main- 

 tenance of parks and indirectly get a profit therefrom. I doubt whether 

 the legislature, under the constitution of our state, could empower 

 municipalities for the purpose of buying land to plant trees for profit. 

 The constitution limits the municipality and the legislature so far as 

 the granting of powers in municipalities. 



Now we come to the most important feature of tree planting in this 

 state, that is the farm wood lot. Probably from ten to twenty per cent 

 of the land should be in forests to get the best results. We ought to 

 have that much, but I am willing to abide by the much talked of sixteen 

 to one ratio. I think that if every quarter or 160 acres had a farm wood 

 lot of ten acres it would be about the right proportion, and it is avail- 

 able. The proper amount of agitation would procure it in the main. 

 Let me illustrate: I have been planting trees upon a farm I have from 

 year to year persistently for the last few years and the force of example 

 is worth a good deal. When I go out to that farm I must invite neigh- 

 bors to help plant trees, and this has been my attempt. I induced a 

 neighbor that I got to help plant some trees two years ago to send to the 

 nursery for 500 trees to plant himslf on his land. So if you once get 

 the idea into the air it will carry itself, but it will not start itself. 



Now you have already heard in regard to planting trees for profit 

 and I can not add anything to that. I have planted catalpas on the 

 upland 200 feet above the water supply used in the well; there are no 

 streams in the neighborhood; they are growing and have not winter 

 killed, as far as I know, but seem to be getting along all right. I 

 l.lanted locusts, and I planted cottonwoods twenty-five years ago, not- 

 vvithstandint; we have said that bottom lands constitute the best prac- 

 ticable and only feasible place, I have planted cottonwoods for profit. 



They grow well on these uplands, not as well as on lowlands, but we 

 bave large trees there that could be cut down and made into lumber; they 

 lived well and they did not die; they went through the drought of 1894. 

 .Vow, if we could get this idea I have mentioned of ten acres to every 

 quarter section for a wind-break or to retard evaporation, we would 

 have accomplished a great deal for the state. 



Now, the third method is that of corporate investments. I think that 

 has some decided advantages. There are a great many living in towns 

 interested i" this matter as I am and yet they have no lands and have 



