150 THE FOREST TREE CULTURIST. 
It is certamly not among the impossibilities even for 
individuals to rear a pine forest to an available size in half 
a lifetime, and there are now thousands of acres of young 
pine forest from which the large trees have been taken 
that it would be a profitable investment to purchase and 
give a little care until the trees were grown to maturity or 
large enough for use. Pine lands are seldom of much 
value for farming purposes, consequently they are better 
suited for growing timber than for grain. — 
There are probably few sections of the country where 
any of the Evergreen trees could be grown as profitably 
as some of the most valuable deciduous trees, and my 
main object at this time is to call the attention of the 
farmer to the fact, that the Evergreens are the most valu- 
able for shelter and ornament. 
Retaining their foliage during winter, they afford pro- 
tection at a time when it is most needed. A belt of these 
surrounding a farm, or such portions as are occupied by 
the buildings, gives a cheerful, comfortable appearance, and 
both man and beast will live longer and be more happy 
under such circumstances than when exposed to every 
gale, and for six months of the twelve with nothing life- 
like to look upon. “ But they shade so much ground and 
take so much strength from the soil,” say many. This is 
true; and still, the benefits they confer are much in ex- 
cess of all the damage they do. Those who would live 
the year round, and not appear to hybernate one half of it, 
but make summer perpetual, should plant Evergreens plen- 
tifully but judiciously about their dwellings and farms, 
not so abundantly that it will make the place dark and 
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