138 FOREST PLANTING. 



outlay of millions. But of course such a work requires 

 the exercise of thoughtful care and judicious management. 

 A general superintendent should be appointed who 

 should unite the characteristics of a thorough man of 

 business and a competent nurserymen. His first work 

 should be the selection of a position for the primary nur- 

 sery, which should be fully appointed with all necessary 

 buildings, teams, wagons, tools and implements for thor- 

 ough and extensive nursery culture. The whole work of 

 propagation from seed or cuttings should be performed 

 here, and from this point the secondary nurseries, which 

 should be established at every station along the line of 

 the road, should receive their supplies of young trees. 

 These secondary nurseries could be managed by intelli- 

 gent laborers accustomed to such work, and would, of 

 course, be under the supervision of the superintendent, 

 who should visit them as often as necessary and direct 

 their general management. It should be a special object, 

 at the earliest possible moment, to render the stations 

 attractive by tasteful plantation of trees and shrubbery in 

 their vicinity, by which I mean not merely planting a few 

 trees and shrubs in a yard adjoining the station, but 

 a tasteful disposition of gloves and groups on conspicu- 

 ous surrounding points and hillsides. The effect upon 

 the mind of travellers, of such an oasis in the desert, is 

 cheering and refreshing beyond conception, and in no 

 way could the capacity of the country for tree culture be 

 so successfully demonstrated. Every station thus adorned, 

 with its nursery adjacent, would become the nucleus of a 

 settlement ; the opportunity of providing themselves on 



