38 



THE WESTEEN POMOLOGIST. 



1871 



In considering the claims of forest culture, we 

 are to remember that vast regions of the Old 

 World, once covered by dense forests and loaded 

 with luxuriant vegetation, are now utterly desolate. 

 "We can see in torrent-swept sides of the Appe- 

 nines, the desolate spurs of the Pyrenees and the 

 barren hills and plains of Asia Minor, and the 

 broken^sand-ridges of Northern Africa, Whatman's 

 wasting hand has done. When we take into 

 account certain great physical facts, we are made to 

 feel that a like ruin may be ours. Forest culture is 

 with us a question of not mere theory, but of im- 

 perative necessity. The geologists tell us that we 

 are to find coal only on the eastern line of this vast 

 region. Then we are to look to the planting of 

 forests for fuel, as the first step towards a permanent 

 and dense settlement. 



The supply of timber in the older portions of 

 our country is rapidly wasting away ; and while 

 the sources of supply are all being exhausted, the 

 demand is constantly increasing. No adequate 

 plans have yet been devised to renew this supply. 

 If this is a matter of grave moment to the whole 

 country, it is especially so to us who, from the very 

 beginning of our settlements, drew all our supplies 

 of timber from distant and rapidly diminishing 

 sources. We may indeed be sure that in these 

 questions of fuel and timber are involved the future 

 interests of all this Western country. In the con- 

 sideration of this grave question. Shall this vast 

 region be made the home for millions of rich and 

 happy people, gathering about them all the com- 

 forts of home, and becoming the great pulsating 

 heart of the nation ; or shall we leave it to become 

 the herding ground of a few thousand cattle men ? 

 We hear it asserted sometimes, that Kansas is to be 

 the great stock-raising State. While this, to a cer- 

 tain extent may be true, it should be the ambition 

 of every Kansan to make something more than 

 this of his adopted State. While there are few 

 soils, if any, better adapted to the cereals, it is cer- 

 tain that the vine will thrive better here than in 

 many portions of the East. Another conviction 

 may be thoroughly established in the mind of every 

 horticulturist, that this is to be the home of the 

 apple, pear and peach, as well as the vine. Enough 

 has been accomplished to give promise of a future 

 proud pre-eminence in the production of all varie- 

 ties of fruit. We have only just begun to study 

 the capabilities of Kansas in fruit culture. The 

 western half of the State has hardly had its capa- 

 oilitics tested. It is possible that a few years may 

 teach as some very important lessons In regard to 

 fruit culture, and especially the culture of the pear 

 in Western Kansas. 



B at the great thought introductory to all this, 

 and without which fruit culture must fail, is the 

 furnishing of fuel, timber and protection. The 



first idea with the horticulturist is, a home. The 

 man who begins to plant fruit trees, has begun to 

 fasten himself to the soil. Though he may be a 

 man of the broadest culture, yet all the energies of 

 his being will be concentrated upon comparatively 

 a small field. But this planting and concentration 

 will never be secured without fuel and timber. It 

 should also be noted that the land, all through this 

 region, which promises in every respect to be the 

 best fruit soil, is always totally destitute of timber. 

 Fruit men in Kansas must become from necessity, 

 sylva-culturists. To succeed in fruit raising, with- 

 out the planting of forest, is probably out of the 

 question. 



But we can scarcely have homes without protec- 

 tion for ourselves, our stock, our fruit trees, and 

 our gardens. It is an act of cruelty to animal life, 

 to dwell on the high prairie without the sheltering 

 protection of trees. It is only at a vast consump- 

 tion of animal life and food, that men live and rear 

 their herds unprotected upon the prairie. The 

 comfort, quiet, and sometimes even the safety of our 

 homes will depend npon the surroundings of forest. 

 We have all observed the contrast between the still 

 air of the wood and the chilling breeze of the 

 prairie. While there is a real difference of tem- 

 perature in favor of the forest, the sensible difier- 

 ■ence is far greater. Even the steam engine indi- 

 cates, in its loud call for more fuel, the changed 

 condition between the forest and the prairie. How 

 much more will man and beast detect and realize 

 the ditference ! What is demanded for man and 

 beast is also required for fruit trees. The severe 

 winds of both Summer and Winter should be kept 

 off. The finer and tenderer varieties of fruit must 

 be protected. It is also certain that nearly all the 

 varieties are the better for some protection. 

 If we can succeed in Winter in keeping the tem- 

 perature only one or two degrees above that of the 

 surrounding atmosphere, we shall sometimes there- 

 by save a crop of fruit. Tlie surrounding winds, 

 also, often do much harm in scalding of the trees ; 

 in making the tree unshapely ; in shaking ofl^ thq 

 fruit ; and hence, a southern protection is desirable 

 as well as a northern one. A protection on the 

 south, especially if it be made of evergreens, will 

 often delay vegetation in th« Spring, much to the 

 advantage of the horticulturist. Hence, the cul- 

 ture of fruit and forests cannot be separated. 



But the thought which rises highest, and is really 

 the directing and leading consideration, is the mod- 

 ifying influence which Sylva-cultnre is to have upon 

 the climate at large ; and hence, the influence 

 it is to exert upon the ultimate condition of the 

 soil, and upon the standard of civilization which is 

 to be found in this vast region of coming ages. 

 The great questions of national, social and moral 

 prosperity, are here involved. Are we to rise to 



