30 AMERICAN THOUGHT AND ACTION. [May 



AMEBIC AN THOUGHT AND ACTION. 



AFFORESTATION OF WASTE LANDS. 



THE proposal to afforest deserted farms in Massachusetts was 

 brought forward by Col, Henry Wilson, of Boston, at the' 

 State Board. At present prices it will pay to do so, as well as to 

 plough and loosen the soil before planting, and to cultivate the soil 

 for two or three years after this is done ; though it will not pay to 

 prune. After thinning out at intervals of five years, and selling the 

 trees removed,' in ten or fifteen years you have a well-established 

 forest from which enough has been sold nearly to pay the first 

 cost. 



Avery P. Slade recommends white pine for worn-out sandy soils 

 away from the sea-shore, as at thirty years of age it represents more 

 value than any other forest tree of New England. 



Zachariah Allen, of Providence, E.I., seeded an old 40-acre 

 pasture worth 15 dols. with a variety of forest trees. An accurate 

 account was kept of the lot for fifty-seven years. It paid 6 '9 2 

 per cent, on the original investment. 



Joseph S. Eay, of Woods Holl, writes that the largest part of a 

 place he bought at Woods Holl some years ago was hilly pasture- 

 land ; a worn-out, sandy, gravelly soil, with many boulders. It 

 was exposed to high winds from Buzzard's Bay, and of very little 

 value for cultivation. Native pitch pine seed was sown broadcast 

 on the surface in the spring, and has done well, though lately 

 afflicted with a sort of blight. Scotch pines did well also ; their 

 value as timber is doubtful, but they are good for fuel. He sowed 

 100 acres. By sowing broadcast, the trees came up too thick. 

 Hundreds of loads for fuel have been cut out without being missed. 



Some Cape Cod farmers cut a place in the sod with a hoe and drop 

 a seed or two. Others run a light furrow six or seven feet apart and 

 drop the seed the same distance, covering lightly. This saves seed ; 

 besides you know where the seed was dropped and can supply 

 deficiencies. American red pine (Finns rcsinosa) is recommended 

 for the coast, but its seed is scarce. It is the Norway Pine of New 

 Hampshire. It is a very fine and valuable variety, with wood 

 something like southern hard pine. Planting chestnuts and walnuts 

 on rocky soil is recommended. Many other varieties, covering a 

 large surface, have been planted with success — Scotch or European 

 larch, Scotch birch, English sycamore, Norway spruce and willow 

 and white ash. Sowing pine seed after a light snow in March and 

 April is a good time ; the seed then can be put on uniformly. 



