Timber Planting at the West. 297 



European larch he had. He estimated those two or three years old, 

 transplanted, at 1,000,000; those not transplanted, in the seed-bed, one 

 and two years old, at 20,000,000. Those who know Mr. Douglas know 

 that he would rather under-estimate than over-estimate. 



So we see that, however progressive Tilton's Journal may be in this 

 instance, it is hardly up with some of our go-ahead western men. I 

 am happy to be able to state this item — this extensive propagation of 

 these evergreens and European laixh, than which there are no varieties 

 of trees so valuable for beauty, wind-breaks, timber, and climatic Influ- 

 ence. The time is coming when it will be considered bad economy to 

 depend on natural growth of trees for wood and timber. How beautiful 

 to contemplate this rich, undulating country, each farm with its belts of 

 timber and groves, planted to suit its convenience and comfort ! It is a 

 vast work, but it is only the pleasure of a holiday time compared with 

 the laborious task of clearing up a farm in the forest. I would rather 

 plant and raise an acre of timber than clear one oft'. 



[Since the above notes were written we have had the pleasure of 

 seeing with our own eyes the extensive nurseries of Messrs. Douglas & 

 Son. Certainly we have never seen anything more unique and inter- 

 esting in the nursery line, and we are quite willing to believe that the 

 number of seedlings is fully equal to that stated by our correspondent, 

 as indeed we should If he had made the number much larger. When 

 we see a bed four feet wide and hundreds of feet long, as thickly filled 

 with young seedlings of the Austrian or some other pine as a lawn Is 

 with spears of grass, and bed after bed equally thick, we can only esti- 

 mate them by myriads. Among the most interesting parts of the estab- 

 lishment are the houses for storing the young plants through the winter, 

 thus aftbrding the opportunity of sorting and prcjDarlng them for filling 

 orders, for tins purpose thousands upon thousands of arbor-vitaes, white 

 pines, Austrian pines, Norway spruces, European larches, and the 

 beautiful Lawson's cypress, being piled up as regularly and neatly as 

 the books In a library. 



We are glad to know that these seedlings meet with a ready sale, and 

 we wish that ten nurseries of the same capacity were In operation, and 

 all finding a demand for their plants. There is room and need for 

 all. — Ed.] 



