MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 125 
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TREE CULTURE BY ‘THE ST. PAUL AND SIOUX CITY 
RAILROAD COMPANY. 
BY THE SECRETARY... 
In Southwestern Minnesota more is being done in the way of tree 
planting than in any other portion of the State. The first settlers 
engaged in the business at an early day. Hence we see frequent 
groves, in every direction, after entering upon the prairie beyond 
Mankato. ‘These timber groves and wind-breaks constitute quite a 
feature in the landscape. In the newer portions, like Nobles county, 
it will be seen, by the report of Mr. Miller, the people have com- 
menced in real earnest. So, too, has the Railroad Company, though 
not on so large a scale as on the St. Paul and Pacific. They have 
had much to contend with, but the grasshoppers have proved the 
greatest hindrance, One or two years the planting has suffered on 
account of dry weather. The officers of this road are doing a good 
work on their own lands in tree-planting, and propose to go into the 
business on a large scale. 
General J. W. Bishop, manager of the road, sends us the follow- 
ing figures, just as the work goes to press: 
Trees and cuttings planted in the spring of 1873....++s-++.+-e+-: 55,455 
Trees and cuttings planted in the spring Of 1874..--+.-seesseeeee 54,024 
Covering the strips one hundred feet wide along the northwest side of 
cuts, where we had been troubled with snow. 
Ground occupied by these trees is about one hundred acres. Generally, 
they are thrifty and doing well. 
We carry trees and cuttings during the planting season free to all prairie 
stations on our road, and the people have planted large numbers of them. 
NOTES ON OUR INSECTIVEROUS BIRDS. 
| We extract the following from an interesting paper on the ‘‘ Birds 
of Minnesota,” by P. L. Hatch, M. D., contributed to the ‘ Bulletin 
of the Academy of Natural Sciences,” Minneapolis, published in 
1874. The birds, by destroying the numerous insects injurious to 
plants and shrubbery, perform a work for the agriculturist and hor- 
ticulturist which is hardly appreciated, and merits more attention 
than is apparently given to it by the class benefited : | 
Many species have increased in great numbers. The conditions 
for their multiplication, and maintenance, have kept step with the 
march of improvements, and, let us add (at the peril of protest from 
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