46 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



Second growth timber is that young, quick growth, which springs up in 

 rich soils after clearing away the old timber. Second growth woods, or quick 

 growing woods, are far superior to old or slow growths, because more elastic, 

 stronger and harder. 



The changed conditions which now exist, since the removal of so great a 

 proportion of American forests, has reduced the number of birds, there being 

 fewer resting places, and a less quantity of wild fruits for food, which has 

 resulted in a vastly increased number of noxious insects. The balance main- 

 tained in nature has also been destroyed by the same forest destruction. Many 

 parasitic insects and those which prey upon other noxious insects, have been 

 reduced, and the destructive worms, caterpillars, borers, etc., have greatly in- 

 creased. 



Now the hickory, chestnut and many other nut trees are threatened with 

 extermination from the damage done by these various destructive insects. 



So serious has this injury become the carriage manufacturers have asked 

 the government for some relief, that the depredations may possibly be checked, 

 as will be seen by the following press dispatch : 



HICKORY FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES ARE BEING DE- 

 STROYED BY INSECTS. 



Chicago, Dec. 21, 1905. "Increasing scarcity of hickory wood in the 

 United States has alarmed the manufacturers of wooden vehicles to such an 

 extent that at a meeting here to-day of over 200 representatives of these manu- 

 facturers the advisability of taking the matter before Congress was discussed. 

 Hickory trees recently have been attacked by an insect which, it is said, is fast 

 destroying that class of timber. At to-day's meeting it was declared that un- 

 less the Government took action in devising means whereby these insects can 

 be kept from breeding, in ten years practically all the hickory trees in the 

 United States will have been destroyed. 



"There are now but three States from which we can draw our supplies," 

 said P. F. Van Behren, of Evansville, Ind., "and hickory trees are becoming 

 "extinct in these States. The shortage in this article, which is the most essen- 

 tial component of a wooden vehicle, probably will necessitate a general raise in 

 prices of all wooden vehicles." 



Just what the Government may be able to accomplish is not very ap- 

 parent,, although presumably the Entomological Bureau is expected to per- 

 form this heroic task. 



It is strange the Forestry Bureau cannot make some efforts toward 

 planting more hickory and other economic forest trees. Certainly Congress 

 would provide funds for such work if it were asked for by the forestry offi- 

 cials. 



There is some effort being made in Texas and other Southern States to- 

 ward pecan culture, but this is only for the nuts. There is absolutely no 

 planting being done by either State or National Government, and but little by 

 private individuals, except that New York has planted some spruce and pine, 

 but carriage woods have been neglected. 



