FORESTRY IN COLORADO 



The existence of a forestry problem in this state was recognized 

 at a comparatively early date. The first steps taken in a legislative 

 way were those to encourage the planting of trees for protection 

 from wind, and for shade and timber on our western prairies. The 

 so-called "timber culture act," passed by the United States Con- 

 gress in March, 1873, was the first of those laws enacted for the 

 purpose of inducing homesteaders to take an interest in the great 

 work of aforestation of our vast wind-swept, semi-arid plains. 



Under the provisions, of this act, the settler by planting forty 

 acres of timber trees could secure title to 160 acres of land. In the 

 following year, this act was amended, making it somewhat more 

 favorable by allowing a person to plant a smaller area and secure a 

 proportionate number of acres of the public domain. Whatever 

 may have been the hopes of the promoters of this act, it is certain 

 that it did not yield the results which might have been expected. 

 Among the things which worked adversely to this law were un- 

 favorable climate, lack of suitable nursery stock, and lack of knowl- 

 edge as to the proper methods of planting and care of the trees. 



In some cases, railroad companies planted timber groves along 

 their rights of way, for the sake of demonstrating that the growing 

 of timber trees on the treeless prairies was practicable. A consider- 

 able number of windbreaks and groves were planted at about this 

 time on homesteads in the eastern, or plains, portion of the state. 

 Some of these old timber claim plantations have persisted in spite 

 of adverse conditions, depending largely upon the species of trees 

 originally used and the care which was given them during the 

 earlier years of their growth. It was thought at one time 

 that if plantations of this kind became sufficiently numerous certain 

 climatic changes might be brought about through the influence of 

 these trees. Whatever the possibilities are along this line, however, 

 it is evident that the plantings of this nature were infinitesimal as 

 compared with those necessary to appreciably affect our climatic 

 conditions. The failure of this law to bring about extensive planting 

 of trees in this portion of the country led to the repeal of this act 

 in 1891. This was partly due to the lack of proper supervision 

 through which abuses arose and frauds were perpetrated in obtain- 

 ing title to lands under false pretenses. 



INCEPTION OF ARBOR DAY. At about this time an effort was 

 made to bring about a greater interest in tree planting generally 

 throughout the country by the setting aside of one day in the year 

 which should be recognized by the public schools as a day for tree 

 planting. While the establishment of Arbor Day has become wide- 

 spread and is observed in nearly every state in the union, in a great 



