PAPERS HEAD BEFORE THE ASSOCIATION. 



25 



to make new plantations, and to save what notions as appeal to individuals; of these the 

 already exists. In the treeless regions of the j most powerful is self-interest. Let it be 

 West different motives are at work. The known that it pays a man to preserve his 

 pressing necessity for protection against woodland, or to plant out trees for profit, and 

 wind, as well as the great difficulty of procur- j the future of our forests is assured and se- 

 ing fuel, has led Legislatures to encourage 

 the planting of tree belts and groves 

 by liberal grants of land, by remission 

 of taxes, by payment of bounties, 

 and by setting apart one day in each year for 

 the purpose of tree planting. Arbor Day 



originated in Nebraska through the State | pecuniary interest. This argument success- 

 Board of Agriculture petitioning Che Legis- i fully applied to any subject will commend it 

 lature to set aside one day for tree plantiag. - to the public ear, endear it to the public 

 This Board of Agriculture annually awards i heart. The f .ct that rnor^e money is involved 

 liberal premiums for the greatest number of j the tree question than in any other inter- 

 trees, cuttings and seeds permanently planted est in our country, should clearly enlist pub- 

 lic sympathies in favor of arbor culture. 



cure. Notwithstanding the importance 

 which a philanthropist or general economist 

 may give to the arboreal industries in a 

 money getting country and among a mining 

 people, there is still an argument more po- 

 tent, in fact, all powerful the argument of 



on that day. Later ths idea was taken up 

 by the Forestry Association of Minnesota 

 and later still by the people of Kansas, Iowa, 

 Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Dakota. The 

 idea, too, has been looked upon favorably by 

 some foreign countries, and lastly our own 

 State has taken her position in behalf of this 

 cause. Very much has been said and written 

 about tree planting for posterity, and a capi- 

 tal sentiment it is, but I must record the fact 

 that the average American citizen cares but 

 little for the generations yet to come. What 

 exercises him most in this connection is will 

 the trees he plants benefit men in his time? 

 Future generations he expects to provide 

 their own shade. The forestry problem in- 

 this country is indeed a serious one. There 

 now remains in the United States but oue 

 vast tract of timber yet untouched, that of 

 Oregon and Washington Territory. The 

 nature of our General Government precludes 

 the possibility of such action as would be ef- 

 fective and possible under the paternal forms 

 of European governments. In a republic it 

 is an extremely difficult matter to secure the 

 attention of the masses of the people in fa- 



Here is work for practical horticulturists 

 all over this land, and here is work, too, for 

 the State, the Nation, and the municipalities. 

 Our agricultural population is not easily con- 

 vinced of the necessity for tree planting^ Its 

 benefits are too vague, the profics too pros- 

 pective, to cause them to look with enthusi- 

 asm on what seems a doubtful undertaking. 

 Still, in this respect, too, it is a pleasure to 

 note that public opinion is fast changing, ex- 

 periments in sylvaculture are being made on 

 a sufficiently broad scale to promise the most 

 gratifying results, and it is highly probable 

 that at no distant day, when its benefits are 

 understood, this b anch of agriculture will 

 receive at the hands of farmers the attention 

 its importance demands. 



A great deal of influene has been ascribed 

 to trees in relation to atmospheric moistuie, 

 but the opinion is now gaining ground that 

 this influence has been much exaggerated. 



The truth probably is that trees favorably 

 effect the earth's surface and the sub-^oil. 

 Forests may influence the rain-fall in two 

 ways: First By constant evaporation 



vor of any great and wholesome ^innovation, i through their leaves they may have a ten- 

 Our State Legislature readily concede the I dency to bring air in their immediate vicin- 

 importance of the Fishery question and the ity. nearer to the point of saturation, and so 

 water power, but they rarely recognize the j induce a saturated air-current to yield its 

 importance of the forestry question, which moisture, if any difference 'n temperature 

 underlies both those and all other industries, occur between the two currents. Second The 

 We believe this question of the protection of [ leaves being covered by evaporation of water 

 our Eocky Mountain forest resources comes I present a surface that would readily attract 

 exactly within the purview of legitimate moisture from passing air, and thus secure 

 legislation. Of course private ownership is | water for that portion so covered by forest, 

 and must ever be the rule, and we would not 

 tolerate, much else would we de- 

 sire, such interference with individual 



liberty as the fostering governments of Eu- 

 rope exercise. But it is to be regretted that 

 monarchies alone are competent to guard and 

 preserve physical nature, so that it may yield 

 its sustenance in one unbroken round. Evi- 

 dently our principle reliance is upon such 



But forest growth, if it doesn't influence 

 the rainfall in a general or local way, has a 

 marked influence in regulating in availabil- 

 ity for the needs of agriculture. The foliage 

 of the trees of the woodland certainly miti- 

 gate the force of the wind storm by breaking 

 it up into currents of lesser force, compelling 

 the rains to percolate gradually through the 

 moss and leaf-covered humus, to be gradually- 



