1?ECLAE\11NG LAND. 131 



Increasing scarcity must increase the price of a good arti- 

 cle, whether it is clear-grained lumber or a sound railroad 

 sleeper. 



A practical method of planting trees over is that recom- 

 mended by Thomas Milne of Scotland. 



He proposes three thousand trees as a desirable number 

 of seedhngs for setting on one acre. He uses a planting- 

 iron "about seventeen inches in length, and as it weio-hs 

 about three pounds, it can be conveniently used with one 

 hand. The planter holds the ' iron ' slackly in one hand, 

 and strikes it into the ground with a force sufficient to drive 

 in the blade about three and one-half inches. It is pressed 

 down, and towards the planter; a slight twist given to the 

 right raises the left corner of the sod, and the plant is put 

 in before the tool is withdrawn, care being taken that all 

 the roots are under groimd. The ' iron ' is then removed, 

 and when the sod sinks back to its place it is struck with 

 the point to break the spring, and the planter, as he steps 

 forward, puts his heel on the cut soil, and so fixes the seed- 

 ling. By this method plants can be put in among the crev- 

 ices of rocks, where it would be impossible to place them 

 in any other way. From five hundred to eight hundred 

 plants, according to size, are carried in a bag slung over the 

 shoulder, and hanging down at the back, so as to be within 

 easy reach, and yet not impede the man at his work. Hav- 

 ing everything so conveniently arranged, an experienced 

 w^orkman, on good land, can plant from four hundred to five 

 hundred seedlings per hour, or from one to one and a half 

 acres per day." This number depends, of course, upon the 

 character of the soil. 



Mr. Milne, like most practical students of forest planting, 

 observes that an increase of forests improves not only the 

 climate, but the productiveness of the farms about them. 



It is claimed that we have plenty of woodland in Massa- 

 chusetts to-day. Yes, such as it is ; and we have undoubt- 

 edly some fine woodland growth that can safely be called 

 forests. But we ought, for the good of our State and wel- 

 fare of our population, to have older and for more extensive 

 forests than exist to-day. 



"Woodlands that are cut over every thirty to forty years 



