296 



THE FORESTER. 



December, 



interplanted with corn. This interplant- 

 ing and the consequent frequent cultiva- 

 tion was performed at no expense, as the 

 corn produced paid for the necessary cul- 

 tivation. It is a notable fact that not less 

 than 95 per cent, of the planted seedlings 

 are alive now, and in good thriving condi- 

 tion. 



Growing nearby in plantations similarly 

 managed are Green and White Ash, Box 

 Elder, Soft Maple, Honey Locust, Red 

 Cedar, White Pine and Scotch Pine. 

 Under the conditions found here, the Nor- 

 way Spruce makes a more rapid growth 

 than the other trees, at least so far as tim- 

 ber value is concerned. Red Cedar 

 makes a more valuable fence post or tele- 

 graph pole, but it requires a very much 

 longer period for growth. It can, how- 

 ever, be made as profitable as Norway 

 Spruce, or more so, if closer planting be 

 practiced (not greater distances being used 

 than 4 by 6 feet). White Ash, also, is 

 more valuable as a post timber and may 

 be planted to advantage 4 by 4 feet. The 

 Norway Spruce in the Conroy plantation 

 have averaged a growth of i foot 9 inches 

 per year for the last fifteen years. The 

 present average height is 29 feet, while 

 the diameter is 4.7 inches. 



As an ornament this Spruce is surely 

 of great value. Its graceful drooping 

 branches and luxuriant foliage make it a 

 favorite among evergreens. The tree is 

 hardy and grows thriftily from Central 

 Kansas (Vinland, Douglas County, has 

 some magnificent specimens) northward 

 through Iowa and Nebraska, South Da- 



kota and into Minnesota, Wisconsin and 

 Illinois. 



For profit, the Iowa plantation, which 

 was measured by Members of the Division 

 of Forestry is a fair example of the value 

 of the Norway Spruce in any of the above 

 mentioned States. The estimate values 

 each first class post at 12.5 cents (Red 

 Cedar sells for 15 to 20 cents, and Ash for 

 12.5 to 15 cents). The trees average two 

 good sized posts each. Of two typical 

 areas measured, one was rated at $145.62 

 per acre and the other $144.04 per acre. 

 This is an average annual gain of $8.045. 

 The trees are now large enough for small 

 telegraph poles, and as such they would 

 bring at least one-third more, which is 

 $10.726+ per year. At the present rate 

 of growth, in ten years the trees will triple 

 as telegraph poles their present post value. 

 This raises the average value to $16.22 per 

 acre per year for the entire period of 

 growth. 



The great portion of land in this region 

 is planted to corn. An average price is 

 $.20 per bushel. This is an annual gain 

 of $7.00 per acre. The estimate includes 

 neither annual cost of seeds, nor cultiva- 

 tion, which must occur at least three times 

 per year. Thus, at the present time, sell- 

 ing the trees as telegraph poles they would 

 bring a net gain over corn of $3.726 per 

 acre per year, or a total in the eighteen 

 years of $67.068 per acre. In ten years 

 the trees as poles will bring a gain over 

 corn of $9.22 per acre, which in the 

 twenty-eight years is a total over corn of 

 $258.16. 



Tree Planting 

 in Indiana. 



The Division of Forestry of 

 the Department of Agricul- 

 ture has during the last 

 summer examined the sites of a number 

 of plantations in Indiana, in response to 

 the applications for tree-planting plans 

 which have been received from that State. 

 Although four-fifths of Indiana was origi- 

 nally well timbered, as much of the State 

 is now practically treeless, with the excep- 

 tion of narrow strips along the rivers. In 

 some places the available timber has all 

 been cut off, even down to the streams. 



Farmers have therefore had to undertake 

 tree planting in order to keep themselves 

 supplied with fence posts and wood for 

 various uses on the farm. The conditions 

 in these now treeless portions of Indiana 

 are, however, very favorable to the estab- 

 lishment of plantations, especially in the 

 regions where the originally marshy low- 

 lands have been drained off. Besides 

 this, the recent law which practically ex- 

 empts tree plantations from taxation will 

 decidedly reduce their cost. 



