19 



and the numberless uses which a stick of timber supplies; in parks 

 and along streets trees make a town " a good place to live in ; " school- 

 house, church, and court-house yards require embellishment. A good 

 plantation for commercial purposes w 7 ill afford a steady income, aside 

 from much pleasure and convenience, while it is surprising how 

 greatly a few trees improve the farmstead. 



Although general soil conditions vary little throughout western 

 Kansas, there is abundant room for selection. Trees, like other forms 

 of vegetation, respond quickly to good soil and moisture. The species 

 which will grow on the uplands may be depended upon to do as w r ell 

 or better in the bottoms, because of the better conditions. Some trees 

 which grow naturally along water courses do well under cultivation 

 on the upland, while others found in company with the hardy species 

 fail entirely when the change is attempted. Hundreds of failures in 

 upland planting in Kansas and Nebraska have resulted because cot- 

 tonwood, willow, silver (soft) maple, and boxelder were expected to 

 thrive in dry situations. 



Experiment has proved, however, that there are species adapted to 

 almost every locality. On the upland there are local depressions 

 which catch considerable run-off, and so are suited to trees which need 

 more than the normal precipitation of the region. In such a situation 

 on the high upland in the extreme western part of Kansas the writer 

 once found, to his surprise, a row of black walnut growing in the sod, 

 yet looking well and bearing nuts, though the settler who planted the 

 trees had long since moved away and of his sod house only a heap of 

 dirt remained. A cattle trail and wheel tracks served to conduct the 

 rainfall down the gentle grade to the trees, permitting water to collect 

 occasionally at this point. That the original plantation had covered a 

 larger area was shown by a few small stumps farther on, which were 

 all that was left to show the effect of drought and neglect. Nearly 

 every quarter section has an acre or more of depressed land which 

 can be well utilized for tree planting. By putting the moisture- 

 requiring species in the favored situations, and the hardy, drought- 

 resisting ones elsewhere, the planter's range of choice is extended, 

 greatly to his advantage. 



CULTIVATION. 



The object of cultivation is, first, to prevent the growth of weeds 

 and grass, and, second, to conserve soil moisture. Cultivation is 

 essential for the first few years after planting, and in many cases 

 necessary for a long period. Before trees are set or seed is sown the 

 ground should be put in good condition. Deep plowing, followed 

 immediately by the harrow, saves moisture and prepares the soil for 

 penetration by the roots. After the trees are set, cultivation should 

 be shallow and frequent. An ideal method is surface cultivation as 



[Cir. 161.] 



