410 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



planting is rapidly on the increase, chiefly for shelter and for post 

 production. The species mainly used are boxelder, cottonwood, 

 green ash, and willow. 



About 122,000 acres have thus far been planted in South 

 Dakota, and at least 1,600,000 acres should be planted by farmers. 

 As in North Dakota, the interest in tree planting is growing, and, 

 in addition to the species which have been most popular in North 

 Dakota, elm and soft maple have been used extensively in South 

 Dakota. 



Nebraska has an area of planted timber estimated to be 192,000 

 acres, and there are something more than 2,000,000 acres more which 

 might be planted to advantage to utilize waste lands and provide 

 adequate protection for crops in the farming districts. While Ne- 

 braska has deserved and won the name of "Tree Planting State," 

 the indications are that planting is slightly declining, particularly 

 in the eastern portion of the State. As in the other Western States, 

 the chief purposes of past planting have been to secure shelter and 

 to produce fuel and posts. Cottonwood, boxelder, ash, elm, and 

 maple have been the species largely planted. Reliable data show 

 that 175,000 acres have been planted with forest trees in Kansas, 

 and at least 1,700,000 acres should be planted. In addition to the 

 hardy species which have been most largely used in Nebraska, black 

 locust, hardy catalpa, and black walnut have been favorites with 

 the Kansas farmers. 



In the prairie region of western Oklahoma over 21,000 acres 

 have thus far been planted with trees. It remains for the land- 

 owners in this relatively new farming region to plant nearly 300,000 

 acres for the best interests of their section. The species chiefly used 

 are black locust, hardy catalpa, maple, and cottonwood. 



The planting of black locust, cottonwood, and catalpa is also 

 being done on a rapidly increasing scale on the prairies and plains 

 of the western half of Texas. Hardly more than 13,000 acres have, 

 however, as yet been planted, and it will probably be many years 

 before the ranchmen in this region will accomplish the planting of 

 the 2,500,000 acres which should be devoted to tree growing. 



As a whole, particularly for shelterbelts and windbreaks, the 

 central region needs to use more conifers. 



WESTERN REGION. 



The western region includes the Rocky Mountain and the Pa- 

 cific Coast States. Much of the forest land in the Western States 

 is within National Forests, and forest planting on these lands is 

 chiefly a federal problem. But there are abundant opportunities 

 for private planting in the valleys of southern California and on 

 irrigated lands throughout the region. It is essential that more 

 than 2,500,000 acres of land in this region in private ownership 

 should be artificially forested, and by far the greater portion of this 

 planting must be done by farmers or ranchmen. 



On irrigated lands the primary purpose of planting by private 

 owners is identical with that in the central treeless region. Most of 

 the irrigation projects are subject to strong winds, and protection 



