62 PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 



its fellows gave up the hopeless task of living without water when the tree 

 before us took entire possession by its natural strength. "The survival of the 

 fittest." 



The battle having been won, a marvelous change came over this denison 

 of the forest. History written in its trunk shows the remarkable growth for 

 nearly half a century of half an inch diameter yearly, since it added twenty- 

 three inches in the forty-five years succeeding. 



In 1864 another change occurred. The farmer cut away most of the trees 

 in his wood lot, thus destroying all forest conditions, when the fertile virgin 

 soil was soon eroded so that the rains no longer soaked into the earth, but ran 

 quickly away to the streams. 



From this time on the increase in growth was reduced to one-eighth inch 

 per annum, and during the last forty years it added but five inches to its trunk, 

 and in 1905 the tree was cut for lumber. 



Thus upon the rolling hills of Indiana we find history plainly recorded in 

 the trunk of an ash tree, the life of which connected three centuries. Its 

 greatest value was attained during the American Civil War, at which period 

 the wood was strong, tough, elastic, full of life and vigor, since which time 

 it has been in the process of decadence. From the present scarcity of lumber 

 it may command more money than it would have done forty years ago, when 

 timber was more abundant, yet the quality of the wood has steadily decreased. 



MORAL. 



We are entering upon an era of artificial forest planting, and it is im- 

 portant that we began aright. A regular maximum growth may be main- 

 tained by giving ample room for root development, as upon this devolves the 

 proper nourishment of each and every tree. 



As the trees expand and extend their roots, requiring greater space, the 

 surplus trees should be removed. 



If natural forest conditions do not exist, and cannot be produced, substi- 

 tute thorough but shallow cultivation until the trees naturally supply such 

 conditions by strewing leaves and casting a shade. 



When timber is ripe harvest it while yet in its prime, and plant other 

 trees to continue the supply, before the soil shall be eroded and lost forever 

 to the owner. 



Note. All the water which is precipitated during an ordinary rainfall 

 does not enter the soil, much depending upon the forest floor or mulching 

 of leaves, etc. ; usually much of the water flows away to the streams. If this 

 forest floor has been destroyed, the proportion of rainfall which enters the soil 

 is much smaller, and if the surface be hard, with considerable slope, the quan- 

 tity which soaks into the earth to benefit growing crops is infinitesimal. 



A rainfall of twenty inches per annum amounts to 55.39 cubic inches 

 weekly average, a quart being 57.75 cubic inches. 



The planting of forest trees 4x4 feet as demanded by authorities requires 

 2,722 trees per acre. Nature is lavish with her seed, and at times sows evsn 

 more than this number, depending upon time to destroy a vast majority in 

 order that the remaining few shall have sufficient space in which to grow. 



