576 . FOREST CULTURE IN KANSAS. 



the magnificent growth of timber in this town bears testimony that the labors of this 

 society have not been in vain. The question as to whether trees will grow on treeless 

 plains has been settled beyond dispute. Nearly twenty-five acres have been planted, 

 not including timber claims, in this town alone. The following list of trees has been 

 fully tested, and has succeeded admirably in this section, viz : white ash, white elm, 

 slippery clni, honey -locust, yellow and black locust, box-elder, white maple, balsam- 

 poplar, Lombardy poplar, cottonwood, and black walnut. Of evergreens, the red 

 cedar, Austrian, Scotch, and mountain pines. — (J. W. Eobson, Cheever, Kans. ; State 

 Hort. Report, 1876, p. 129.) 



Douglas County: 



The most successful, and therefore most satisfactory deciduous tree for ornamental 

 planting, is the white elm. The silver maple has been denuded twice each year for 

 the past three years by what is termed the " maple-icorm," aud is therefore not satis- 

 factory. The catalpa, ailanthus, cottonwood, sycamore, box-elder, black walnut, gray 

 ash, and mulberry have been planted, most satisfactory of which are the ash, syca- 

 more, and mulberry, all of which bear transplanting well. Scotch, Austrian, and 

 ■white pine, balsam-lir, Norway and white spruce, American and Siberian arbor vitte, 

 Irish junipers, red cedar, and European silver fir have been planted at all ages up to 

 twelve years old, or even older. The red cedar is the hardiest, and is grasshopper proof. 

 The Scotch and Austrian pines are the next hardiest, but do not stand the hoppers. 

 The fir and spruce family we take under advisement for future and further trial. Not 

 a great amount of timber-planting in this county, and that mostly silvjr maple and 

 cottonwood. The above is for that part of Douglas County east and south of Law- 

 rence.— (G. Y. Johnson; State Hort. Report, 1874, p. 207.) 



The American and European ash, Ailanthus glandulosa, and catalpa were planted 

 as early as 1858, age varying from two to four years at time of planting. Have been 

 cultivjited with spade and hoe, and are in thrifty condition at this date. The European 

 larch were planted in 1861 ; do not know their age, but were 2 or 3 feet high; obtained 

 from Indiana; reached a height of 10 to 15 feet in 1873, when the hot spell in August 

 killed them. Evergreens were planted in the spring of 1861. The height of Norway 

 spruce, American and Siberian arbor vita?, Scotch pine, Austrian and white pine was 

 2 feet ; reached the height of 10 to 15 feet in 1874, and were killed by the drought and 

 grasshoppers. A heavy mulch kept constantly around them was all the attention 

 given. They made a very heavy, strong growth. The red cedar, planted at the same 

 date, and of the same size, made a satisfactory growth, and at this date seems unim- 

 paired by drought or hoppers. It proves worthy of the name " iron-clad." The cost of 

 these trees at the time of planting averaged thirty cents each. Timber and forest trees. — 

 Black-locust seeds were sowed in the spring of 1858, in rows 4 feet apart, 2 or 3 inches 

 apart in the row ; were cultivated with the hoe the first year, and the plow for four years, 

 when cultivation ceased. They have been ruined by borers. Cost of seed 80 cents a 

 pound. The black walnut was sown upon upland in the autumn of 1861, in rows 6 

 feet apart, and 1 foot in the rows ; cultivated with hoe and plow three years, and 

 made a fair growth; after cultivation ceased gradually failed, and are now worthless. 

 Silver-leaf maples were bought at Hermann, Mo., in the spring of 1861, one year old, 

 at a cost of one cent each, cultivated in nursery rows for three years, then planted in 

 groves aud wind-breaks, and cultivated with plow ; have done well. In groves on some 

 soils they have suffered from borers, but generally are very healthy, and making a good 

 growth. Cottonwoods were planted as early as 1856 and 1857. Young seedlings were 

 taken from the river forest, 3 or 4 feet high ; have outgrown all other varieties ; many 

 are over 1 foot in diameter— some will measure 18 inches ; are healthy, hardy, aud 

 fi-ee from disease and insects. White willow, that once-famous fence and timber tree, 

 which was "for the million," wasbought in Illinois, in cuttings, at ^3 per thousand, and 

 planted, in the spring of 1862, in fence-rows, belts, and groves: grew well in some lo- 

 calities as belts aud groves, but did not prove very admirably adapted to making fence- 

 rows. Most of the plantings have failed, but very few ever giving, if they di^ at all, 

 satisfaction. Since the first attempts as above stated, there has been scarcely afly va- 

 riety used in Douglas County but elms and silvtr-leaf maples, and these have been dug 

 in the forests or grown from seed obtained from trees along our streams. The cotton- 

 wood has been objected to on account of the innumerable amount of seed it scatters; 

 the elms on account of slow growth, and the maple for its disposition to fork aud then 

 split ; but what tree has not some faults ? There has been no planting in this county 

 exclusively for fuel or timber purposes ; yet I am satisfied that had such a planting 

 been made at an early day profitable results would have crowned the enterprise.— 

 {G. C. Bracketf, Lawrence, Kans. ; State Hort. Report, 1874, p. 211.) 



Maj. W. C. Ransom, of Lawrence, Kans., in a report of his experience on ornamental 

 trees, states that he, some years ago, imi>orted fine specimens of the Japan cedar. Mount 

 Atlas cedar, cedar of Lebanon, Deodor, Nootka Sound cypress, and quite a nurnber 

 of the finer varieties of Eetinospora (Japan cypress), and Chinese and other Asiatic 

 varieties of the juniper. They were received in fine condition, and well cared for, but 



