STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 149 



visiting his barayard during such a blizzard as we had last week 

 would have no reason to doubt his statement. 



Driving over the prairie during a recent storm we came suddenly 

 to leeward of a double row of arbor vitse, ten years old and about 

 ten feet high ; the thermometer might not have shown much difference, 

 but nose and ears indicated a wide variation in temperature between 

 the shelter of that slight windbreak and the open prairie. 



A man is asked to improve his cow or horse, manure his fields, ro- 

 tate his cjops, plant small fruits, take better care of his garden, and 

 he will respond with interest, for the benefits are immediate, the re- 

 sults apparent in a year or two at the farthest. Then the benefits 

 are all his own, the interests his own, and he is easily induced to in- 

 vestigate and make use of improvements. But ask hi^n to plant a 

 timber plantation. He replies that it takes too long to get results — 

 talk about climalic influences, that is everybody's business; danger of 

 exhausting the timber supply of the country — there will be enough 

 for this generation, let the next one look out for itself. Tell him that 

 gang plows and gang saws will make a desert of the United States in 

 one-hundredth part of the time it took to destroy Syria, he replies, 

 let him who inhabits the desert look out for that. 



Forestry, to be successful, to be widespread, must be the protege of 

 the State. The interest is too great, the stakes too high, the individ- 

 ual too selfish, the profits too remote, the climatic and sanitary efi'ects 

 too important and the benefits so universal, philanthropists so scarce, 

 that the State should immediately take hold of the matter and do 

 something definite, practical and extensive. 



All the governments of Europe are moving in this matter. Timber 

 plantations are held, mature timber is removed under the direction of 

 a State officer, the growth of young timber is encouraged, land that 

 for any reason is unprofitable for agricultural purposes is planted to 

 suitable timber, schools of forestry are maintained, and men are ed- 

 ucated in all that pertains to the subject. 



A bill regarding the setting aside of land sold for taxes, or such 

 other land as may come into the possession of the State for timber 

 purposes and relating to the care of such timber, its cultivation, cut- 

 ting and sale, was prepared and submitted to the last legislature, but 

 the reception it received was not very encouraging. 



That we must eventually adopt some such system a-? that now carried 

 on in Germany, no one could doubt if they have ever given the sub- 

 ject any thought. The earlier our people accept this as a fact and act 

 upon it, the better for commonwealth and individual. The preserva- 



