454 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION September 



gation ; the Pabst Brewing Company, and H. C. Havemeyer, of New York, 



of Milwaukee, offers a beautifully de- in behalf of the American Sugar Refin- 



signed silver loving-cup, representing ing Company, offers a cup valued at 



" Ceres," for the best exhibit of barley $500 for the best exhibit of sugar beets 



grown in the arid states and territories, grown in the arid or semi-arid regions. 



w 



r 



' FORESTING THE NEBRASKA SAND-HILLS. 



i 



T NOTES ON THE PROGRESS OF THE GOV- 



f ERNMENT WORK IN THE TREELESS WEST, 



i i 



\ 



I C. A. SCOTT, 



1 BUREAU OF FORESTRY, 

 f 



t '"~p v HE Nebraska forest reserves are The Bureau of Forestry had decided 



J. sand-hill reserves; they were set to grow from seed the trees that are to 



aside by presidential proclamation on be used in planting this reserve. The 



April 1 6, 1902, for the purpose of deter- very first work begun was the prepara- 



mining whether or not trees can be grown tion of a one-half acre seed-bed. The 



successfully in the sand-hills. We be- site chosen for the nursery grounds 



lieve this to be possible and entirely is bottom land lying close to the river 



practicable, and it is our purpose to and about 8 feet above the level of 



improve the general conditions of the the water. The ground, before being 



country by establishing forests on these cleared, was grownup to a thicket of 



reserves. The presence of trees on the plum and choke-cherry brush. Strange 



hills that are now as bleak as anything as it may seem, the very first tools we 



that can well be imagined will beautify made use of in preparing for the coming 



the country and in time supply the local forest was a mattock, one of the worst 



demands for forest products. enemies a tree has. 



It is hoped that the results of this The ground was grubbed, plowed, 



work will be of great value to the people harrowed, and raked, the latter opera- 



of the entire state. If we find by exper- tion being repeated until the soil was 



iment that certain trees are well adapted free of roots and in proper condition to 



( to our conditions, and that they grow receive the seed. The seed-bed block 



i and flourish in the sandy soil, we can was then set with 8-foot posts, placed 



then recommend such trees for general 8 by 8 feet each way. These support a 



c planting. roof of woven picket fencing, which 



I The Dismal River Forest Reserve, be- affords the little seedlings partial shade 



1 cause of its nearness to the railroad and and shelter from the wind and hail. 



i base of supplies, was selected for the The entire enclosure when completed 



i seat of our work. This reserve contains resembled a huge chicken coop. The 



t 86,000 acres and lies between the Dismal separate seed-beds within the enclosure 



s and Middle Loup River, in Thomas are 7 feet wide by 136 feet long. Each 



county. During the summer of 1902 bed has a capacity of 20,000 seedlings, 



\ this reserve was surveyed and a nursery and there are 2 i such beds in the half- 



z site chosen. The most suitable location acre block. 



t for a forest nursery was found along the After the preparation of the seed- 



f Middle Loup River, 2 miles west of beds came the collecting of pine seed, 



t Halsey, where we established our head- A party of four men were sent into Pine 



r quarters and began permanent improve- Ridge and the Black Hills to collect seed 



ments. of the Bull Pine (Pinus ponderosa), and 



