STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 63 



growth follows. A 3'ear or two later, if the inferior trees are cut 

 out, it will greatly enhance the value of what remain. 



If this cutting out of inferior trees could be practiced in all our 

 woodlands the advantage gained would pay the cost and more to, 

 in the increased value it would give the forests. 



TREE PLANTING. 



We have special reason for gratitude that there are no large tree- 

 less areas in our State, that make in necessar}^ for us to plant trees 

 for fuel, timber or protection. There are, however, thousands of 

 acres of land scattered over our State from which the trees have 

 been cleared, that are quite worthless for tillage or pasturage. The 

 idea of planting these barren hillsides with trees has hardly seemed 

 a practical thing in the past, for the profit is too far away to stimu- 

 late much labor in this direction. But let us see. A wise and pru- 

 dent farmer neglects no part of his farm. His purpose all the while 

 is to employ such a system of culture as will improve his lands and 

 his buildings as well as his stock. Apply the same doctrine to the 

 woodland, and the farmer will be careful to have each acre on his 

 farm producing to its utmost. Now there are parcels of land upon 

 which some of our forest trees will grow, that are not producing 

 enough to pay the taxes on them. Why not sow these with tree 

 seeds, protect from the stock for a year or two, and make them pro- 

 ductive? An inteUigent farmer tells the writer he knows from his 

 own experience that white birch will be large enough to cut from in 

 fifteen to twenty years. There is a hillside, which at one time was 

 of no account for tillage or grass, and he allowed it to grow up to 

 white birch, the seeds of which were wafted from the neigboring 

 woods. The fifteenth year the trees were from six to eight inches 

 in diameter. Three miles away the wood is worth three dollars and 

 a half to four dollars and a half per cord in the log. This piece of 

 land to-day is a valuable piece of property, because of the white 

 birch growing upon it. The same is true of poplar which is in large 

 demand along the line of our railroads. If anything the poplar will 

 grow more rapidly than the white birch. Other forest trees might 

 be planted in places more remote from the markets, and there can 

 be no doubt that if the unprofitable land was covered with growing 

 trees there would be a constant appreciation in value of the wooded 

 portions of the farm. Look well after the woodlands, and instead 

 of sending all your hard earned dollars to western investors, expend 



