32 THE AMES FORESTER 



pies, they show what can be accomplished with a certain amount 

 of effort. 



The tree planting movement will gain in proportions as the 

 people learn the possibilities and realize the effort needed. The 

 percentage of loss is greater than in more favorable climates, 

 hence, the effort must be proportionately increased. But the 

 value of the surviving per cent is so much greater in compari- 

 son that it should be looked upon as well worth the added effort. 

 As the people realize this more and more they are increasing 

 their interest and persistence. 



The State Nursery at Hays is naintained in connection with the 

 Fort Hays Experiment Station. From a Nursery of approxi- 

 mately one acre 5 years ago and containing but a few trees it 

 has grown to one of 25 acres and contains some 250,000 trees 

 and plants of various ages and sizes. The demand for trees 

 that the Nursury produces has grown in the same time from a 

 few trees planted at the Station for demonstration purposes to 

 one of approximately 75,000 trees, which represents the approxi- 

 mate number shipped to all parts of the State each year. Of 

 the trees sent out the number reported living after the first sea- 

 son's growth has increased from 76% to 91%. Out of some 

 480 orders during the spring of 1916 only 12 went to points out- 

 side of the State. 



Charts for each of the past five years showing points to which 

 trees have been shipped from the Hays Nursery, show also that 

 the Western sections of the State are receiving a larger propor- 

 tion of the orders from the Nursery each year. With one excep- 

 tion, when there was a general decrease in the number of orders 

 all over the state, the west has increased steadily while the east 

 has fallen off. During the past year there was an increase in the 

 two western sections of 37% and 146% respectively. 



Thus, the desolate plains of Kansas are rapidly becoming farm 

 homes, and the homes are being beautified. It will undoubtedly 

 be a gradual process which gives the state any extensive timber 

 belts, but the persistent efforts at shelter belt, shade tree, and 

 shrubbery planting are bound to increase, and it is not unreason- 

 able to dream of a day when the plains will be spotted with 

 trees, marking the prosperous homesteads of the wheat farmers 

 of the Sunflower State. 



