212 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of shade. For miles and miles one may seek in vain for a moment's 

 shelter from the uninterrupted sunshine. Even the grasshoppers seek 

 to protect themselves from the burning- heat by creeping into the 

 meager shade of fence posts and tufts of grass. 



There are still some dooryards in Nebraska entirely without shade 

 trees; but compared with those which have them, the number is 

 small. The value of shade for the comfort of the dooryard, walks, 

 and drives, and also for the protection of domestic fowls and farm 

 animals, can hardly be overestimated. 



FUEL. The planted timber supplies fuel which is much needed. 

 Nebraska has no coal deposits, and the small area of its natural timber 

 gives an insufficient supply of fuel. Wood and coal must be shipped 

 from the nearest sources of supply, which, for some localities, are -00 

 or 500 miles distant. Moreover, the high price of wood and coal 

 compels many to economize in their use by substituting other mate- 

 rials, such as corncobs, and, in years of plenty, corn in the ear. But 

 in recent years many farmers have reaped the benefits of previous 

 forethought and labor in obtaining from their planted groves an abun- 

 dance of fuel for home use. Such saving often amounts to over $100 

 per 3 r ear on a single farm. 



CONSTRUCTION. There are many purposes on the farm for which 

 wood materials can be obtained in the plantation. Posts and poles are 

 in constant demand for the building of sheds and fences, forked tim- 

 bers are often wanted for special uses, and there is continual need of 

 miscellaneous pieces. All such materials play a part in the improve- 

 ment of the farm and would cost considerable money if they had to be 

 purchased. 



It is difficult to estimate in dollars and cents the value of the planted 

 timber from the standpoint of utility, because it is never possible to 

 measure absolutely its benefits. Especial^ is this true of any region 

 so deficient in natural timber as Nebraska. But could the real value 

 be estimated, it would certainly be high, for the value of an} T thing so 

 influential upon the comfort and economy of the farm is very great. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF PLANTED TIMBER IN NEBRASKA. 



To a certain extent Nebraska farmers regard their plantations from 

 the standpoint of utility, and are unwilling to cut and sell the timber 

 products. However, experience has shown that for purposes such as 

 fence posts, poles, and rough lumber, planted timber can be grown at 

 a profit equal to that from agricultural crops on similar soil. 



Cottonwood lumber from planted trees has been used extensively 

 for dimension stuff and inside work in barns and sheds, being consid- 

 ered for such uses full} 7 as durable as pine, while much cheaper. The 

 prevailing price is from &!:-> to 15 per thousand feet. As indicating 

 the returns to be expected from such an investment, Mr. K. M. Cole, 



