44 Forest Club Annual 



see the necessity of providing against a recurrence of similar 

 periods of hard times by raising trees. 



The Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station at Lincoln 

 started experiments to determine the species which would grow 

 satisfactorily in eastern Nebraska, the rate of growth, the spac- 

 ing best adapted to the different species and the silvicultural 

 methods to be used in handling them. The soil at the Station 

 is a black loam underlaid to an unknown depth with stiff, yellow 

 clay. 



Plantings were first made in 1896 in which Black Cherry 

 was the principal species, mixed with Silver Maple, Box Elder, 

 Green Ash, White Elm, Hardy Catalpa, and Russian Mulberry. 

 Of the species mentioned only three have succeeded in making 

 good growth. The average size of each of these species, sixteen 

 years after planting, is as follows : 



The Black Locust has made an excellent growth in spite of 

 the fact that the trees are badly affected by borers, which very 

 greatly reduce their value for fence posts. Many posts, however, 

 can be cut from the trees and, though they are of inferior qual- 

 ity, still they can be utilized. In sections of eastern Nebraska 

 where the locust borer is not found this species can be safely 

 recommended for planting. The writer knows of cases where 

 two acres of Black Locust have furnished posts for a 160 acre 

 farm besides some fuel. 



The Black Cherry is excellent for planting on good moist 

 soils in eastern Nebraska. The trees at the State Farm have 

 made a growth of thirty-five feet in height and over six inches 

 in diameter in sixteen years. The wood is very valuable, as its 

 lumber takes a fine polish and is used for interior finish. This 

 tree should come into favor with those who are looking for a 

 species which will grow valuable timber on good land unsuitable 

 for agriculture and who are willing to wait a long time for the 

 trees to become merchantable as saw timber. 



The Silver Maple has made a rapid growth, having attained 

 ;an average height of thirty-two feet and an average diameter of 



