RAISING FOBEST TREES, &c. 



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cedar growsKin any soil, from dry sand and gravel to 

 rich loam. 



But something more than this general information 

 is desirable; for in fact this is no more than any ob- 

 serving man would be likely to discover for himself ; 

 and therefore we pi-csent, in a concise manner, the 

 principles adopted in countries where such culture is 

 systematically entered upon. In some parts of Eu- 

 rope, the growth of forests is as scientifically con- 

 ducted as crops of wheat. The following method, 

 which combines the culture of trees and of ordinary 

 crops, is perhaps as judicious and as practicable, in 

 this country, as any other plan, though by no means 

 the only one by which a gi-owlh of trees may secure 

 substantial benefit both to the land and to its owner. 



For new countries, where the original forest is still 

 in existence, the first suggestion may be important, 

 bat it would not, of course, be applicable to the 

 older sections of our country; such farmtrrs are in- 

 terested only in the subsequent suggestions, but all 

 these are worthy of note eveiywhere. We proceed 

 to set forth our method: 



1. Choose a forest, the circumstances of which are 

 appropriate to such a treatment, and divide it into a 

 certain number of sections or cuttings, having regard 

 to the condition and qualities of the soil, climate, 

 and the kind of tree desired. 



2. Each year one of these sections is cut down 

 and cleared, and the soil is devoted to cereals, as an 

 ordinary field. 



3. A kind of tree adapted to the wants of the 

 place is selected, and these are planted in rows, at a 

 distance of fifty feet or ujiward, as one has a desire 

 to increase the growth of wood, or of grass, or of 

 grain. The stems of the trees forming these rows 

 should be from two and a half to four feet distant. 



4. Between the row.s of trees, grain or some other 

 crop may be cultivated, so long as the trees will not 

 injure them. 



5. When the trees grow to such a size as to injure 

 each other, part of them should be cut down. 



6. The land should not be cultivated when the 

 trees shall produce a shade injurious to the crop. 

 Other trees should be cut from time to time, until a 

 suitable number is left, regard being had to the use 

 to which the trees are to be applied, whether for 

 fuel, timber of large or small size, etc. 



7. When the trees have reached a suitable age 

 they should be cut down, the stumps removed, and 

 other trees planted. But the trees should now be 

 planted where the crops were cultivated before, and 

 the crops sown where the former row of trees was 

 grown. 



8. The rows of trees should range north and south. 

 Fruit trees or forest trees might be treated by this 



method with great benefit. 



On the selection of the place, regard shoiild be 

 had to the exposure and position, as rt-ell aa to the 

 soil. 



Grounds that are to be treated in this manner, 

 should be well prepared and cultivated. To plant 

 trees when the soil is not in a suitable condition, 

 would be a waste of labor. 



Numerous comparisons have shown that a growth 

 of sixty years, thus conducted, fully equals that of 

 one hundred and twenty years in the native forest. 



More abundant crops are obtained by the altemato 

 culture of different kinds of plants. If a soil, ex- 

 hausted by successive crops, is planted with trees, ano 

 it remains forty years in this state, cereals wili after- 

 ward grow upon it with much more vigor than be- 

 fore, and even for some years, without manure. But 

 fruit trees and vines can not succeed each other on 

 the same ground with advantage. 



In India, when the soil is exhausted by crops of 

 indigo, trees are planted for the purpose of restoring 

 its fruitfulness. In default of trees, the ground is 

 covered with branches or brushwood, which are use- 

 ful in restoring freshness and vigor to the soil. Eve- 

 rything which covers the ground promotes its fertili- 

 ty. A heap of stones at the foot of a tree promotes 

 its growth. 



Among the advantages of this system, one impor- 

 tant consideration is that by it no ground is wasted. 

 The space required by the trees, in different stages of 

 their growth is furnished, while the cultivation of 

 other crops is not interfered with by the growth of 

 the trees. When cereals can not be profitably raised, 

 crops of grass may be obtained until the growth of 

 the trees is such as to interfere with any other crop. 

 When the trees have reached a certain growth, they 

 will not be liable to injury if cattle are turned in to 

 feed upon the grass, while trees that are planted in 

 p.asture-lands are often destroyed. — Plough, Loom 

 and Anvil. 



Sheep and Doos. — Important Decision. — Daniel 

 Carter recently shot a dog in Cecil county, Md., 

 belonging to Edwakd W. Mahanv, for killing hi* 

 sheep. Mahant sued him before a magistrate aud 

 got judgment for $25 damages, from which Cartkk 

 appealed to the Circuit Court, The defence alluiiei: 

 that to justify the shooting of the dog he iii-i,si '*t 

 caught in the act of worrying or killing the .-h. ■!.;);. 

 The Court (Judge Constable on the bench) ln-U' a 

 different opinion, reversing the magistrate's dec:. :.<ju 

 The Cecil l^'hig says : 



"Judge Constable is reported to us to have .1';l;- 

 ded unequivocally and clearly that under the Kti^- 

 lish common law, and the Maryland statutes for !liu 

 protection of sheep, which extended to the coiniiuja 

 law, any person who sees a dog within an eu' kisurs 

 where there are sheep, (no matter whether he lie t!it; 

 owner of the sheep or an entire stranger.) and has 

 sufficient reasons for believing he is there fur the jiur- 

 pose of worrying or killing the sheep, is perfectly 

 justifiable in kilhng him on the spot or even in pur- 

 suing and killing him. — American Farmei: 



The Covntry Gentleman states that the following 

 remedy for the foot rot in sheep, has been nsed with 

 great success by H. Uowland, of Aurora, Cayuga 

 Co., for the last thirty years : 



"Mix flour of sulphur with the salt given to the 

 sheep, in a proportion just sufficient to discolor per- 

 ceptibly the salt, or about one-eighth part. Sulphur 

 may be had at a wholesale price at a cost of not ova- 

 two cents. AVhere local applications are necessarji 

 we should much prefer a solution of chloride of lime, 

 to any other application. 



