8^ 



forgotten. Though uudoubtedly requirtxl l».v the necessities of civilization 

 and population, it has been carried too far, and future generations may 

 have to curse the wanton Avaste of the past. Our fathers had a constant 

 grudge against trees. Tlie l)est were cut into rails or hewed into sills, 

 or used for tirewood. Kegular logging 1)ees were held and tree after 

 tree was cut, rolled together and burned. There is not a farm in the 

 county today but would, if left in nm1)er, have been worth six times its 

 present value. And worst of all, this same policy is being continued. 

 Every year forest OAvners, either tlirough carelessness or ignorance, are 

 wasting valual)le property. Concerning the nuuket value of the various 

 crops whicli the farm produces tlie farmer is usually posted, but concern- 

 ing the marlvct value of tlie various trees malving up his timberland he is 

 usually ignorant. The amount of timber that has been allowed to go to 

 utter waste in the past history of the county, because of the failure to 

 appreciate the true value of forests, Avould have been sufficient, had it 

 been preserved and sold at current prices, to have paid for every acre 

 of land in the county. Save for occasional groves, almost all the black 

 walnut has l)een removed because of its great value, and yet on every 

 farna in the county, rows of rail fences l)uilt of l)lack walnut and poplar, 

 puncheon floors, rafters of old barns and sheds attest to its reckless use 

 in the past. 



In this country Avhere all the land is in the hands of private owners, 

 nothing can be done save through the intelligent co-operation of land 

 owners. 



No land in the county has been reforested by artificial means. A num- 

 ber of farmers, however, maintain groves of catalpa and black locust 

 which furnishes material for posts and poles. Numerous instances could 

 be cited where a few acres of black locust furnish a constant supply of 

 posts for the fencing of farms containing hundreds of acres each. Such 

 groves are easy to propagate and furnish the best of posts, which can 

 not be purchased on the market for less than thirty cents each line post. 

 The catalpa groves have not proved so successful, owing in some instances 

 to the planting of catalpa bignonoides which is of small growth, crooked 

 and seldom forming a well-shaped tree. The valuable variety to plant 

 is C. speciosa, which is a very rapid grower and furnishes wood valuable 

 for posts, ties, telegraph poles and lumber. 



Not only has there been no planting of forest tracts, but there has 



