146 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



anj'tliing about the life of a tree, or how long it takes a seed to 

 germinate ; and scarcely give an^- thought to a matter whicli should 

 now attract the attention of every intelligent observer of nature who 

 takes an interest in the forest wealth of our country. And tlicre 

 is no reason whj' every man, who has a lot of barren land, should 

 not plant and care for a few acres of trees every year, using the 

 kinds most suitable to the soil of his farm, and thereby securing a 

 permanent investmciit for his childien, as well as adding to the 

 resources of his country. Oar forests are fast disappearing, and 

 if we keep on doing in the coming generation as we have done in 

 the past we shall soon have a country of barren hills and treeless 

 plains. Our watercourses will be torrents in the spring, and dry, 

 gravelly beds the rest of the year. I might mention a few of the 

 causes of the destruction of trees that could be prevented. First. 

 The woodman, who cuts all that is of any use to him in a commer- 

 cial wa}', and destroj's all, or nearly' all, that is left. Second. 

 Forest fires, which are our greatest curse, in whatever way they 

 may originate, — it ma}' be a spark from a locomotive, a wad from 

 the gun of some sportsman, or the smouldering fire left by some 

 camper-out, which has been blown about by the rising wind ; 

 these often start fires that may destroy' much valuable property. 

 Many people do not think of the value of a tree, and do not care 

 where a fire may end so long as it does not affect their interest. 

 I have seen man}' acres of woodland burning, not ten miles from 

 Boston, and no one attempted to stop it until it threatened to burn 

 some little shed ; then the whole community turned out to stop 

 it, but as long as it kept in the woods they did not care. This mat- 

 ter should be looked into, and strict laws be ma'le, which would 

 protect all who might plant trees or forests ; for they are one of the 

 greatest sources of national wealth and comfort. I might say that 

 there is scarcely a business that can be successfully carried on 

 without the use of forest trees or their productions. 



But I am getting awa}' from ni}' sulject. The raising of trees 

 from seed is the natural wa}' of propagating them. Nature shows 

 us that, and employs man}- agents to carrj- out her designs. In the 

 first place, seeds drop from the trees to the ground and are covered 

 by the falling leaves, or by the grass and weeds, which keep tliem 

 from the drying winds until they germinate. They are scattered 

 b}' the winds, and many fall in the crevices of rocks, and on good 

 ground, or other favorable situations ; the}- are floated down rivers 

 and brooks and are left in the rich mud along the banks. Thev 



