STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 379 



But thi^ destruction is not confined to the east ; fifteen j-ears ago the country 

 from Lake Calhoun to Glencoe was an almost unbroken forest. To-day, the whole 

 surface is dotted with farm houses and clearings. 



When I came to Glencoe the prairie west of there seemed a dreary waste, with' 

 here and there a solitary house, looming up against the hoiizon. like a ship at sea. 

 The wild deer roamed over the prairie and through the forest. One small cotton- 

 wood grove at New Auburn was the only one ia sight. The wonderful change 

 that has been wrought is best illustrated by the exclamation of an acquaintance, 

 when, on a beautiful May morning, he says : "Where will you find a more beauti- 

 ful land than this? Whichever way the eyes turn, beautiful groves and nice farms 

 are seen." This fact slightly compensates for the destruction that has taken place; 

 but there has not been a tree set where there should have been a hundred. 



If there is one plice more than another where the benefit of tree-planting is 

 felt, it is on the prairie west of the Big Woods. As the oasis to the weary, hungry 

 and thirsty traveller on the sands of Sahara, or the harbor to the tempest- tossed 

 mariner, so is the grove of Cottonwood and willow to the dweller on the prairie^ 

 He knows that although the winds may howl and blow at the rate of sixty miles an 

 heur, peace and quiit reign in its shelter. Methinks that if one of our prominent 

 members, who states in a recent number of Farm, Stock and Home that the cotton- 

 wood and willow were not worth mentioning, and who expressed his surprise that 

 farmers continued to plant them, recommending larch and maple instead, was to 

 stand on the west side of a grove of these despised trees, with the wind blowing a 

 gale and the thermometer at forty degrees bel jw, he would hasten to their shelter 

 and exclaim with Brother Sias, "God bless the cottonwood and willow." 



Most of our farmers are poor when they settle on the prairies, often many miles 

 from timber; maple and larch trees cost money, whil 3 cuttings of the others may be 

 had for the asking. Again, the rapid growth of these afford shelter and protection 

 before the others hardly commence to grow. But think not that I have aught to 

 say against the larch and maple ; the first has been my admiration from youth up, 

 owing to its tall and graceful form. It reminds me of the days of 1860, when the 

 tallest specimen in my father's swamp, in connection with a noble white ash furn- 

 ished by one of our neighbors, was made to bear the name of Lincoln, and helped 

 to kindle the fires of patriotism in the hearts of the p3ople. That this variety will 

 succeed on our prairie soil has been proven by my neighbors, who have fine speci- 

 mens growing in their yards. 



In connection with the trees named I would recommend planting different kinds 

 of walnuts for nuts and timber. The importance of forest trees to the man that 

 has the courage to attempt the growing of fruit on our prairies was fully demon- 

 strated last spring. Small fruits on the east side of groves being in good condition 

 while those on the west side, exposed to the winds, were badly injured. 



And now fellow members let us by examp'e and word in every possible way en- 

 courage the planting of forest and ornamental trees, knowing that although we 

 may not reap the full benefit, our children will bless us for so doing. 



Let us together take our stand, 

 To stay the wily axman's hand, 

 And make of this a fertile land 

 Instead of one of drifting sand. 



