3 io GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



which interfered with the work of reforestation. Wessely con- 

 cludes by saying that little had been accomplished because of a 

 lack of knowledge of sand culture and a lack of courageous and 

 unselfish devotion to such work in spite of opposition and diffi- 

 culties.* 



This book appeared in 1873. Since that time there has been 

 great progress. The work in this peculiar and secluded region 

 is of great interest to Americans because it was accomplished 

 under great difficulties, and because it was our own locust tree 

 which was most successfully and extensively planted. In his 

 book Wessely mentions that the Canadian poplar and the locust 

 seemed at that time to be the most promising trees for the 

 region, and that the Hungarian foresters often remarked that 

 " Die Akazie sei in Nord-Amerika fur die Ungarische Ebene 

 eigens erfunden worden." f 



There has recently appeared an article on the locust by the 

 Hungarian Forester Bund in the Zeitschrift fur Forst und 

 Jagdwesen. The successful use of the locust on sandy land in 

 the Rhine Province led him to inquire into the experiences with 

 this tree in the Hungarian desert. This tree was at first only 

 used in gardens and along avenues, but soon its good qualities 

 were recognized as a supremely useful cover for sand surfaces. 

 It is to-day principally the locust which relieves the monotony 

 of the Hungarian steppes. In all there are at least 70,000 hec- 

 tares or about 172,970 acres of pure locust stands in that country. 

 It is, in his opinion, the tree of the future for desert sandy 

 regions. The government is encouraging the planting of this 

 tree by furnishing gratis every year from the State nurseries 

 from five to six million young locust plants. 



The chief claims for the use of the tree in Hungary are that 

 its demands on the soil are slight, that it is easily propagated, 

 and that owing to its extensive root-system and root-suckers it 

 holds the soil in place. He recommends that the soil should be 

 worked first, on which a crop of rye or legumes may be grown, 

 and cautions one not to sow seeds which have been scalded or 



* It is worthy of note how that in great reforms much has been accomplished by one or only a very 

 few persistent, enthusiastic workers. 



f'The locust has been discovered in America especially for the Hungarian Plain" The term 

 " acacia " is used throughout Europe for the locust tree ; in fact, in America, it is called "false acacia," 

 from which comes its specific name ' pseudacacia." 



