356 ANNUAL EEPOET. 



ject for a paper, when I accepted the invitation of your secretary 

 to be present at this meeting and read one. But, as I was anx- 

 ious to meet with you, and form new acquaintances in horticul- 

 ture among those who, by a longer residence here, could give 

 us information in this, our chosen profession, that would be val- 

 uable to us in forwarding our work, I concluded to give you a 

 few thoughts on tree planting in a general way which may draw 

 out discussions that will be be both interesting and beneficial to 

 all concerned. Now, for me to tell you that this great Territory, 

 extending from Minnesota on the east, to the foot hills on the 

 west and from the extreme northern boundary, was and is prac- 

 tically treeless, and needs timber and fruit trees, would be use- 

 less and a waste of time. You all realize this fact. For the 

 l)ur]30ses of this brief paper I will make only two divisions of 

 my subject. First, planting of forest trees and evergreens, and 

 second, planting fruit trees. These departments of tree plant- 

 ing are of that importance to the inhabitants of Dakota, 

 that their value can not be estimated in dollars and cents. 

 And the advantages, health, wealth, and comforts which re- 

 sult from them are of that class that cannot be enjoyed only by 

 the planter himself or his ftimily. But they are a benefit and a 

 lasting good to the neighborhood, to the town, county, and state 

 where he resides. For if it is a fact, which I fully believe it 

 is that the only protection there is for the Dakota farmer against 

 the fierce blasts of the polar regions that come unobstructed so 

 many miles through the ]S"orthwest, and which finally spread 

 their fury in the dreaded prairie blizzard, or the warm sultry 

 and withering winds which come from the south and southwest, 

 that ofttimes blast the fondest hopes and destroy the prospects 

 for a crop in a single day, is in planting forests and wind breaks, 

 then I say the man who improves his tree claim as the law re- 

 quires, or plants a border of forest trees and evergreens around 

 his homestead, or even around ten acres on which his farm 

 buildings are situated, not only protects his own property 

 from disaster, ruin and waste, but to a great extent protects and 

 enhances in value, the property of his neighbor. These winds, 

 like the tides of the ocean, are all right and fill their mission in 

 the laws of nature, but in both cases it is man's duty to protect 

 himself, his family and property, from their disastrous effects. 

 Again, if it is a fact, and I believe it is, that the planting of for- 

 ests increases the rains, and causes them to fall more equally on 

 the just and unjust, and eventually furnish fuel and lumber, 



