Timber Culture Acts. 477 



to much fraud in obtaining title to lands under false 

 pretenses. It is difficult to say how much impetus 

 the law gave to bonafide forest planting, and how 

 much timber growth has resulted from it. Unfavor- 

 able climate, lack of satisfactory plant material, and 

 lack of knowledge as to the proper methods, led to 

 many failures. 



A number of railroad companies, opening up the 

 prairie States, planted at this time groves along the 

 right of way for the sake of demonstrating the practica- 

 bility of securing forest growth on the treeless prairies 

 and plains. 



There was also considerable planting of wind-breaks 

 and groves on homesteads, which was attended with 

 better results. Altogether, however, the amount of 

 tree planting, even in the prairies and plains, was in- 

 finitesimal, if compared with what is necessary for 

 climatic amelioration; and it may be admitted, now 

 as well as later, that the reforestation of the plains 

 must be a matter of co-operative, if not of national, 

 enterprise. 



At this time also, an effort was made to stimulate 

 enthusiasm for tree planting among the homesteaders 

 and settlers on the plains by the establishment of arbor 

 days. From its inception by Governor J. Sterling 

 Morton, and its first inauguration by the State Board 

 of Agriculture of Nebraska in 1872, Arbor Day gradu- 

 ally became a day of observance in nearly every State. 

 While with the exception of the so-called treeless 

 States, perhaps not much planting of economic value 

 is done, the observance of the day in schools as one set 

 apart for the discussion of the importance of trees, 



