124 ANNUAL EEPOET 



dise, and render it the best location in the Territory (when divided) 

 for the seat of government for the new state, is for the city to obtain 

 in some shape two hundred or more acres of land west of the city, 

 cultivate the same well for two years in some crop, then if money is 

 an object, set with cuttings of gray willow, cottonwood, Russian 

 poplar, or anything that will succeed best in that location, four feet 

 apart each way, leaving room between this grove and the city for an 

 arboretum. And when the trees become large enough, lay out drives 

 through the plantation and convert the whole thing into a beautiful 

 driving park. In this way the city can be protected in a few years 

 from blizzards and tornados, and have " a thing of beauty and a joy 

 forever" right in sight. 



There is no two ways for the settlers on the " oceanic prairies;" 

 they must protect their buildings on the west by shelter belts, or some 

 one will some day "get hurt." The railroads might profit by this 

 hint, and set trees on the west side of all depot buildings throughout 

 all the prairie country they traverse. We can conceive of no better or 

 more humane use for a small part of the cash received from their 

 " watered stock." If they say, as the man did who failed in his at- 

 tempt to get on board the ark at the time of the deluge, that they 

 "don't think there is going to be much of a shower," and so take no 

 heed, they will in that case "sow the wind and reap a whirlwind." 



The election of officers Wednesday, the llth, resulted as follows: 

 President, E. De Bell, Sioux Falls; vice president, G. H. Whiting, 

 Esmond; secretary. Prof. Chas. A KeflFer, of the Agricultural College, 

 Brookings; treasurer, Oliver Gibbs, Jr., Ramsey; director at large, 

 A. Wardell, Twin Brooks; for North Dakota. William Clausen, Bis- 

 marck; for South Dakota, H. C. Warner, Forestburg. 



Where all the papers were especially fine it is not necessary to re- 

 port on each separately. This was true with the above directors. 



Leonard Gee's paper on " Experiments in Forestry " was handled in 

 an able manner, showing conclusively that the writer had "been 

 there" and knew whereof he spoke. 



"Shelter Belts" by G. H. Whiting, Esmond. You will notice 

 that this writer takes a subject as broad as our Western Prairies, 

 and that he was master of the situation there was none to dispute. 

 If time and space would admit of it, I should be pleased to speak more 

 at length in regard to the rare merits of all the papers read before 

 this convention — but there is one thing of vital importance to the 

 rising generation that I must not neglect to mention here, and that is 

 a, resolution offered by Mr. Bushnell of Huron, proposing the appoint- 



