218 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



sapling wants nourishment. It must be able to contend, 

 when a sapling, for instance, with all the brush and trash 

 that will grow up around it. I dwelt upon that sufficiently 

 this morning and will not further it now. 



In the course of the discussion this morning cases were 

 mentioned where trees had been planted ten feet apart, 

 because people had fallen into the error that they must be 

 planted where they are to stand ; but you understand that 

 the whole value of a stick of timber is in its straightness 

 and in its freedom from limbs in the lower part of its stem, 

 and the only way to accomplish that is to make nature work 

 out the problem and force the young plant to climb upward. 

 That is done by planting the trees close together. I have 

 never known any advantage to be gained by planting them 

 nearer than four feet apart in rows either way. The fact is, 

 that those who have achieved the greatest success in this 

 matter have done it by tillage ; by setting the plants where 

 they have been able to run a cultivator through the rows, 

 and do that for three or four years until the foliage is so 

 completely spread over the ground as to discourage and 

 eradicate all useless and noxious weeds and rubbish. 



I know that there is much reason for an improvement in 

 our New England towns, and by the roadsides, in the char- 

 acter of the shade trees. I notice as I travel up and down 

 the valleys of New England that there is a great similarity 

 in the trees that they plant by the roadside, if they plant 

 any. I will say, to the credit of many of the interior towns, 

 that there has been of late years a very marked manifesta- 

 tion of public spirit in the matter of planting shade trees. 

 In one place they will set out the maple, in another place 

 they will prefer the elm, and so on. Of course it looks 

 exceedingly monotonous, and there is not so much beauty as 

 there might be if there was more attention paid to variety. 

 Although the maple when cut for timber uses is valuable, is 

 not the oak far more valuable ? And for firewood, of course, 

 it is excellent ; but it always seems to me a kind of sacrilege 

 to look upon a noble tree as merely so much cord wood. 

 We may have to burn it, but I would rather put a tree to 

 some other use. 



We can cultivate the black walnut in all places where the 



