MODERN FORESTRY 



farm has its grove and suitable shade trees. 

 The state is gaining in the matter of the num- 

 ber of acres devoted to tree -growing, rather 

 than losing. In many parts of the state small 

 groves are so numerous as to give the country 

 an appearance of possessing much timber re- 

 source. There is no state in the Union in 

 which Arbor Day is more faithfully observed 

 than in this state. Thousands of trees are 

 planted ev^ery year upon that day; but, of 

 course, tree-planting is in no sense confined to 

 that particular day. The people of Nebraska 

 believe that an increase of forest growth has a 

 direct influence upon climatic conditions, and 

 hence the idea of tree-planting has been stim- 

 ulated. Portions of the state are semi-arid, and 

 if there is anything in the theory that tree- 

 growth is an important factor in increasing 

 humidity, that of itself is sufficient stimulus 

 to promote the general planting of trees. 



The General Assembly of Illinois, at its last 

 (1905) session, enacted a law for the creation of 

 forest preserve districts. The act contains a 

 referendum to the people of any county or 

 counties in the state desiring to organize a for- 

 est-preserve district under its provisions. For 



161 



