HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 395 



around the roots, so it could be thrown into a wagon and carried 

 around for a day or two, instead of packing the bundle without 

 any sort of protection, putting moss and straw in the box. The 

 farmer gets them with naked roots; frequently leaves them in 

 his wagon over night and gives no care or protection before they 

 are planted. 



One word more in regard to matters of legislation; then I am 

 through. I have investigated the matter of legislation, looking 

 to the protection of timber plantations already growing in the 

 state and just want to call attention to one thing that impressed 

 me the other day. I came through Faribault county where more 

 premiums are being paid by the state for timber plantations and 

 lines of trees along the highway than in any other county in 

 Minnesota. Now, I approve of that. I believe it is right and 

 proper to encourage the planting of these timber plantations. I 

 approve of the bounty that the state gives for these lines of trees 

 and plantations. But I think it is a mistake for the state to pay 

 bounties for the planting of timber in one county and then allow 

 such reckless destruction of timber in an adjoining county. The 

 farmers of the Northwest need to be protected first. A few days 

 since I passed by a large tract of land too rough to ever be 

 utilized for agricultural purposes. There was a second growth 

 of maple, butternut, ash, elm and poplar growing. Most of the 

 trees were about as large around as that stove pipe. They were 

 a handsome timber plantation. That ought to be protected. I 

 inquired of a man living there why this timber was not pro- 

 tected. He said that the original growth of timber there was 

 very rank, mostly hard maple; a man bought it simply for the 

 timber and cut the timber off. The land wasn't worth anything 

 except for timber. He let it be sold for taxes, and it went back 

 and lay for fourteen years; then by some trick he got a quitclaim 

 from the original owner of the land, paid up a portion only of 

 the taxes or bid it in at tax sale, securing that valuable timber 

 for less than seven dollars per acre, went to cutting and burning 

 again; and will probably let it revert to the state for taxes, as 

 the original purchaser did. This is a condition of affair to be 

 corrected by legislation. 



I have talked with some of our legislators, and I believe that 

 while we should encourage the idea of planting by every means, 

 one of the most imperative things to be accomplished is the pro- 

 tection of natural timber plantations already existing, and to 

 have such land as is not fit for agricultural purposes preserved 



