1885.] WILL IT PAY TO PLANT TIMBER IN AMERICA ? 237 



Mr. B. Gr. Northrop says, in the N'evj England Homestead : — 

 "Over 10,000 acres in Plymouth and Barnstable counties, Mass., 

 once sandy plains, as barren as those in Wallingford, Ct., are 

 now covered with fine forests. The common pitch pine has there 

 been most generally used for the reclamation of sand barrens. 

 Eecently the Scotch pine has been widely planted, and the European 

 larch. The seeds were sometimes sowed broadcast, but usually 

 dropped in furrows. ' Does it pay ? ' you ask. I have put that 

 question to many farmers on Cape Cod, and always got an affirmative 

 answer. One of them said : ' When I came to this spot twenty-five 

 years ago, not a tree was to be seen from my house lot. The land 

 could be bought for 25 to 50 c. an acre. ISTow that sand covered 

 with trees, is worth 20 dols. an acre. Besides, it also paid me over 

 and over in my enjoyment of the improved looks of my place.' " 



Prof. Sargeant estimates that there are " in Massachusetts fully 

 200,000 acres of unimproved land which could with advantage be 

 at once covered with larch plantations, and if so planted, their net 

 yield, according to my estimate, in 50 years would be 1,045,660 

 dols." 



Though there appears no need of placing the profits of a 100 

 acres of corn land against that of forest land, as Meehan does, still 

 facts go to show that in the prairie districts tree-planting is a present 

 profit. Mr. Anthony writes to Professor Budd, of Iowa, that since 

 1883 his firm has planted over 210,000 forest trees of different 

 varieties grown from seed or nuts. And the National Live Stock 

 Journal indicates that comfort in pasturage furnished by a grove of 

 trees, means contentment for the cattle and profit for the owner. 

 The writer in it some two years ago met, in the State of Iowa, a 

 young gentleman from the old country who was looking for a place 

 to establish himself as a stock farmer, and who was evidently fairly 

 well supplied with the means to suit his tastes and disposition. 

 Pteferring to a site he had found, which he regarded as in many 

 respects eligible, he declared his only hesitation to be caused by the 

 almost entire absence of trees growing on the place. " If there was 

 a good growth of trees on the place," he added, " I would close with 

 the owner at once, and willingly give him 5 dols. an acre more than 

 he asks me." Now, on 240 acres this little matter of 5 dols. an 

 acre would have made the nice little difference of 1200 dols., besides 

 securing the bargain at once. 



