FOREST - CULTURE IN KANSAS. 577 



all died. Some were again tried, two or tbree years after, but with no better success, 

 and the same fate occurred with firs from theEocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. 

 Lauton's cypress, and Seqvioa gigantea grew, but did not ripen their wood. In fact, 

 his list of evergreens on which expectation could be founded was reduced to three: 

 the Austrian or black pine, Scotch pine, and red cedar, the latter being native, hardy, 

 and reliable. Of deciduous trees he placed first the elm. If soft maples were planted, 

 they should be headed back. The ash did not appear to thrive. The larch could not 

 maintain its erect habit against the winds, unless planted iu low grounds and with 

 other trees. The deciduous cypress and the gingko had done well in the vicissitudes 

 of Kansas climate and defoliation by grasshoppers.— (Transac^jows of Kansas State Eort. 

 Soc, 1875, p. 222.) 



Franklin County : 



The trees usually planted are the elm, sycamore, soft maple, ash, black walnut, «&c., 

 that are native, and the red cedar, Norway spruce, white, Austrian, and Scotch pines, 

 which are introduced, and are found to thrive. The arbor vita, hemlock, and larch 

 have not generally been found successful. The soft maple has been extensively planted, 

 but for the last few years they have for a considerable part of the summer been in- 

 fested with a worm, that has caused great damage, and has discouraged further at- 

 tempts at planting. The elm is in a few cases infested with the oyster-shell bark-louse. 

 Perhaps thirty or forty acres of timber- trees have been planted on the farm of the 

 Ottawa University, consisting of soft maple, black walnut, catalpa, ailanthus, Cot- 

 tonwood, and in less quantities, red cedar, white pine, Lombardy poplar, &c. The 

 amount of timber in this section appears to be increasing. — (A. Willis, Ottawa, Kans.) 



Lyon County: 



p. G. Hallberg has evergreens growing on his grounds adjoining Emporia of the fol- 

 lowing varieties and ages, which he values in the order in which they are named: 

 Austrian pine, IG years; Scotch pine, 16; red and white cedar, 16; juniper, 16; bal- 

 sam-fir, 16 ; white pine, 10 ; Norway spruce, 10 ; arbor vitse, 10 ; hemlock, 4. All these 

 varieties stood the drought of last summer, and came out all right. — (J. M. Miller, 

 Emporia, Kans ; State Hort. Report, 1874, p. 218.) 



Mr. Miller, in reply to circular of the department, gives the following 

 additional information : 



Our timbers, mentioned in the order of value, are black walnut, burr oak, hickory, 

 hackberry, white ash, Cottonwood, white and red elm. The first is at present, and pros- 

 pectively, altogether the most valuable. Where old forests are cleared off and the land 

 left, there soon springs up a dense undergrowth of these various kinds of timber, and 

 with such a supply to begin with, we would soon have enough, if fires are kept out. 

 The osage orange and honey-locusts are valuable. 



ML&.MI County: 



Cedar trees were set out at a very early date, and seemed to do well in almost all 

 locations. In the spring of 1861, white Austrian, Norway, and Scotch pines were set 

 out, also balsam and arbor vitfe. All have done well until the jiresent season, when 

 the drought destroyed the balsams and arbor vitais. The pines are all alive, are from 

 15 to 22 feet high, and cone-shaped from the ground. The grasshoppers stripped the 

 Scotch and Austrian pines of nearly all their foliage, while the white and Norway were 

 not injured. This county being one of the best-timbered in the Sta e, forest-culture 

 has received but little attention. Native forest-trees have all done well, I believe, ex- 

 cept soft maples, and they are being dug.up where i^lanted, on acconntof a worm which 

 has stripped the tree of its foliage for four years past. — (C. S. Jdair, Ossawatomie, 

 Kans. ; State Hort. Report, 1874, p. 220.) 



Mitchell County. — Three- fourths of the fruit trees of the county have been de- 

 stroyed by borers, rabbits, or sun-scald. Soft and silver-leaf maples, aliantus, and 

 catalpas have been successfully grown as ornamental trees. We have poor success 

 with all evergreens. Box-elder, red and white elm, white ash, coffee-bean, cottonwood, 

 soft maple, and black walnut have been planted with good success when the ground 

 has been thoroughly plowed before planting and when there has been reasonable after- 

 culture. The above varieties of trees are offered for sale in this locality at from $5 to 

 $7 per 1,000, one year old. Box-elder, ash, and soft-maple seed can be bought for $2 a 

 bushel. The elm, cottonwood, and coffee-bean would cost $6 to $8 per bushel. No 

 damage has been done the box-elder, ash, coffee-bean, or black walnut, by rabbits, 

 grasshoppers, or insects. The elm, cottonwood, and maples are browsed l)y "grasshop- 

 pers and rabbits, but not seriously injured. Box-elder, ash, and coffee-bean, are con- 

 sidered the best for extensive planting.— (i^. A. Taylor, Beloit, Kans; State Hort. 

 Report, 1875, p. 162.) 



37 F 



