40 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



18^1 



shrewd enough to read the signs of the 

 times. Every tree planted is so much money 

 invested, sure to liring ample returns, and he who 

 plants at all will act wisely, if while planting 

 for himself he shall also plant for his more 

 improvident neighbors. It ia too much to hope 

 that every farmer will engage in Sylva-culture. 

 Thousands on thousands who have homes in this 

 State to-day, to say nothing of tlie thousands who 

 . are coming, will purchase their wood and timber 

 fifteen years hence. Fence-posts, railroad ties, 

 vineyard stakes by the million, and timber of 

 every kind will always be in demand. We may 

 be sure here is a market that can never be over- 

 stocked. 



It is perhaps needless to mention the bounty 

 offered by our State Government. While the law 

 hus some excellent features, and may sw've a good 

 purpose to .stimulate tree- planting, the suggestion 

 contained in the law that it will be sufficient to 

 plant trees one rod apart, if followed by the inex- 

 perienced tree-planter, will certainly do more 

 harm than the bounty can do good. Then the 

 interdicting of the black locust, probably under the 

 mis-conce]3tion that the species of borer which is 

 frequently so destructive upon the locust would 

 infest our fruit trees, is believed by some to be a 

 grave mistake. But this and other matters pertain- 

 ing to the practical working of the law, it should 

 be known and felt by every Sylva-eulturist 

 the real profit in his work is not to be found in 

 a bounty, but in the intrinsic value of the forest, 

 grooving out of his care. 



It is possible at this time to remark only briefly 

 in relation to the mode of planting. It is of the 

 first importance to secure young trees for forest 

 planting. The first cost will be far less, the expense 

 of planting much less, and the subsequent growth 

 far more uniform and satisfactory. 



There are also many considerations which fjxvor 

 dose planting. We are to keep distinctly in mind 

 the two objects to be reached in the growth of the 

 orchard and forest. In the one case we look for 

 fruit and the other for timber. While the spread- 

 ing branches and broad top in the orchard is desir- 

 able, nothing could be more unfortunate than to 

 raise the forest in the same manner. Unfortunate- 

 ly for Sylva-culture as well as themselves, many 

 persist in doing this very thing. They will pro- 

 ceed somewhat in this manner : Selecting large 

 trees so as to make a display at once, they will, at 

 much expense of time and effort, plant them far 

 enough apart to just cover the letter of the law, say 

 sixteen feet. These trees being large will be 

 seriously checked in their growth, and feeling the 

 full power of the summer's sun, will suffer much 

 more from the borers, and though the trees may 

 not die, they will not by any means make a vigor- 



ous and healthy growth. On the other hand, if the 

 trees are small, they are scarcely checked in their 

 growth ; and if planted thickly, they soon begin to 

 shade the ground and protect each other, and from 

 these two causes.combined the borers do but little or 

 no damage. Again, if the trees arc far apart, much 

 labor is required in keeping the ground clear of 

 weeds, while with thickly-planted trees they will 

 cause far less trouble. When trees are far apart we 

 cannot secure length of body, even by the most 

 careful training, but if planted thickly nature 

 will do her own work, seniring smooth and 

 straight trunks, with little or no artificial train- 

 ing. 



Though much has been said for the few past 

 years in relation to forest culture, yet very little 

 has been actually done. A few pieces of forest 

 have been planted at a trifling cost, which look 

 well, and the small cost at which this work has 

 been done should encourage others to go and do 

 likewtse. Probably three dollars per acre would be 

 a fair estimate of expense for labor of man and 

 team in planting ten or twenty acres of forest with 

 twelve hundred and fifty trees per acrce, and the 

 expense would be much loss than this, if we plant 

 the black walnut, by dropping the seed in the fur- 

 row. Then surel}' there is no good reason why 

 every farmers should not plant one or more acres 

 of forest each year. If every farmer settling upon 

 the high prairies, would each year put out only a 

 small piece of thickly planted forest, even it it were 

 only Cottonwood, the whole fiice of the country 

 would soon undergo a wonderful change, and 

 we might hope that at no very distant day the 

 climate of the whole country would be materially 

 modified. 



Teriuimology or tbe Vine. 



At the late annual meeting of the Illinois State 

 Horticultural Society, the subject of "Terminologj'" 

 of the vine was brought up, and after much delib- 

 eration resulted as follows : 



Roots — That jiart of the vine growing below the 

 surface of the ground. 



Stem — The main "stock" below the branches. 



Arm — A portion of the vine permanently trained 

 in a horizontal position. 



Shoot — Greenwood — This consists of fruit shoots, 

 "young canes" and "suckers." 



Lateral — A branch from a shoot. 



Cane — A ripened shoot from the stem arm or 

 "spur." 



Spur — The cane cut short. 



Joint or Node — The enlarged part, whence come 

 buds, leaves or tendrils. 



Internodc — The parts between the joints. 



Tendrils — A twining support. 



