A PLANTATION FOR GENERAL PURPOSES. 13 



of Forestry is to assist tree planters in overcoming these adverse con- 

 ditions, and to aid in the establishment of plantations of the greatest 

 possible value to their owners. 



FAVORABLE LOCALITIES FOR TREE PLANTING. 



Nearly everywhere within the natural wooded areas trees grow with 

 little or no care. Although these localities are especially favorable for 

 tree growth, favorable situations of limited area are not infrequent in 

 what are generally known as treeless localities. In many Western 

 situations where only the hardiest trees succeed at all upon upland 

 and exposed places, benchlands and lowlands along creeks and rivers 

 where the valleys are naturally subirri gated are usually well adapted 

 to tree growth. Such conditions are frequent in the valleys of the 

 Platte, Arkansas, Oimarron, and other rivers of the plains. 



In many localities west of the ninety-ninth meridian, and even farther 

 east, much depends upon the selection of the site for the plantation of 

 forest trees upon each individual farm. The question of the location 

 of the farm buildings in relation to future plantations is also of critical 

 importance. 



A PLANTATION FOR GENERAL PURPOSES IN SOUTHERN KANSAS. 



The following account of the plantation of Joseph Lewis is presented 

 as an evidence of what can be done on the open prairie in a short 

 space of time. This plantation is located in the southern part of 

 Harper County, Kans., in the valley of a small stream called Silver 

 Creek. The soil is a fertile, brown, sandy loam, and reaches some 6 

 or 8 feet in depth. It is freely permeable, both to water and the roots 

 of trees, containing much water when saturated, and has marked 

 retentive powers. The subsoil is similar to the soil, and a uniform layer 

 of coarse, water-bearing sand is found at a depth of about 15 feet. 

 This kind of soil is producing better trees than any other in the 

 unforested West. 



Mr. Lewis settled on this land a little over twenty years ago. He 

 immediately began to improve it, but his main forest plantations were 

 not made until 1882. At this time a 30-acre plat was laid out for an 

 orchard, and on the north, west, and south of this plat a windbreak 

 was planted. On the north of the orchard a strip some 20 rods in 

 width was planted with Cottonwood. On the west a strip about 15 

 rods wide was planted, at one end with Soft Maple, and at the other 

 with Black Walnut, with the trees about 6 feet apart in one direction 

 and 8 feet in the other. On the south a strip varying in width from 

 10 to 15 rods was irregularly and thinly planted with Cottonwood, Red 

 Cedar, Soft Maple, Russian Mulberry, and Catalpa. The site of this 

 plantation slopes gradually southward to the creek, which is the 



