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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



tioa fi'om trees could not be secured. Some 

 time must pass before this desirable state 

 of improvement can be effected. It will be 

 done in time. Men who go upcn our open 

 prairies and make their farms at a distauce 

 from timber, generally understand the ad- 

 vantages of shelter and shade, and so soon 

 as they can provide cover for themselves and 

 fences to protect their fields, will labor to 

 secure other comforts, among them trees for 

 protection from the blasts that sweep across 

 the prairies, and orchards for providing 

 themselves with the fruit to which they have 

 been accostomed. 



Almost every species of tree found grow- 

 ing upon our water courses, will readily grow 

 and flourish on our prairie lands. Experi- 

 ments with the seed of the ash have been 

 entirely successful, and the same fact may be 

 stated of the white oak, the black walnut, 

 the maple, poplar, sycamore and other trees. 

 Were it not for the destructiou caused by 

 the borer, the yellow locust might be recom- 

 mended for planting on the prairies. ^In a 

 few years they make a compact and valuable 

 grove. The more trees you remove from the 

 grove, the more you will appear to have. So 

 necessary are skirts of timber near prairie 

 dwellings, that the tree that will make them 

 soonest is most desirable. The cottoiiwood 

 grows at once, and rapidly, and in two years 

 will afford protection. Other trees, more 

 valuable, sre of slower growth. Mr. Ilovey 

 is right in his estimate of the worth of tree 

 protection, and we thank him for urging the 

 occupants of prairie farm.s to proceed with 

 all possible alacrity in securing so great a 

 necessity. 



In seeking for trees for such locations, we 

 are in favor of those varieties which flourish 

 best in our soil and latitude. We doubt 

 much whether the larch or cypress will suc- 

 ceed to a great extent here. The same fact 

 may be stated of many of the evergreens. 

 The best evergreen we have seen for onr 

 region is that which is indiginous in Illinois, 

 and if not the red cedar is a good deal like 

 it. It stands drought well, and cold does 

 not affect it. A protection on the north and 

 west by these trees, suffered to grow up 



without trimming, would indeed be a valua- 

 ble and effective protection. 



Nurserymen would consult the wants of 

 our prairie farmers by raising forest trees 

 for sale. The maple, the beech, ash, black 

 walnut, oaks, linn and poplar could be raised 

 in any amount, if attention was given to 

 their propagation, and there would be a 

 market for them. We supply ourselves from 

 the nurseries with Osage orange plants at 

 $2 50 per thousand — why could not the 

 young maple, ash, beech and tulip tree be 

 sold for the same money ? We do believe 

 that there is a field opened here to enterpris- 

 ing nurserymen which would pay. 



But we would not have our prairie farm- 

 ers wait to be supplied with trees from nur- 

 series. They should supply themselves from 

 our forests. Ascertain when the seeds of 

 t le different varieties of trees are ripe, and 

 be on hand to gather them. A few honrs 

 labor will furnish you with all you want; 

 and it is all important that in this business 

 there should be no procrastination. Take 

 time by the forelock, and you have him at 

 your command. 



We have occasionally in onr business been 

 called upon for fruit trees by aged persons. 

 They had cultivated their farms for fifteen 

 aud twenty years without planting out a good 

 fru't tree. Their sons, more thoughtful in 

 later years, had planted out orchards, and 

 had secured valuable fruit. The aged pro- 

 ca.stinators, when the sun of life was descend- 

 ing, wero about doing a work which should 

 h..ive been done a quarter of a century be- 

 fore. They reminded one of the lamenta- 

 tion, the "summer is ended, and the harvest 

 is past," and we are without the blessings 

 which should have enured to our old age ! 



Young men upon the Prairies ! lose no 

 time in securing your groves and your or- 

 chards, and before you are aware you will 

 be enjoying the comforts, the absence of 

 which your old friend, C. M. Hovey, in the 

 extract before us, so truthfully pictures. 



-•9*- 



8^» An Indiana editor, ppeaking of a rogue 

 who lives in his vicinity, says: "The rascal has 

 broken every bank and jail, and Sabbath, we 

 have had in this county for the last five years." 



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