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1864. 



THE ILLIKOIS FAKMEE. 



and humid hilla are turned to ridges of dry rock, 

 which encumbers the low grounds and chokes the 

 water-courses with its debris, and — except in coun- 

 tries favored with an equable distribution of rain 

 through the seasons, and a moderated and regular 

 inclination of surface — the whole earth, unless res- 

 cued by human art from the physical degradation 

 to which it tends, becomes an assemblage of bald 

 mountains, of barren, turfless hills, and of swampy 

 and malarious plains. There are parts of Asia Mi- 

 nor, of Northern Africa, of Greece, and even of 

 Alpine Europe, where the operation of causes set 

 in action by man has brought the face of the earth 

 to a desolation almost as complete as that of the 

 moon ; and though within that brief space of time 

 which we call 'historical period,' they are known 

 to have been covered with luxurient woods, ver- 

 dant pastures, and fertile meadows, they are now 

 -xtoo far deteriorated to be reclaimable by man ; nor 

 can they become again fitted for human use, except 

 through great geological changes, or "other myste- 

 rious influences or agencies, of which we have no 

 present knowledge, and over which we have no 

 control." 



He foresees that a desolation, like that which 

 has overwhelmed many more beautiful and fer- 

 tile regions of Europe, awaits an important part of 

 the territory of the United States and of other 

 comparatively new countries, over which Europe- 

 an civilization is now extending its way, unless 

 prompt measures are taken to check the action of 

 the destructive causes already in operation. — 

 Man and Nature, by G. P. Marsh, 



Perhaps the above views, expressed with author- 

 ity, will be impressed upon our minds and memo- 

 ries by the long continued and excessive drought 

 of the present season, says the Republican. Let us 

 have more trees. We need them everywhere, 

 along our roads, in our pastures, on our hillsides, 

 in eveay spot where nothing else will grow, — any- 

 where but around our houses. There we must let 

 in sunlight. The cottage, deep embowered in. shade 

 sounds very pretty and sentimental, but suggests 

 to the thought of experience, damp, mould, rheu- 

 matism, fever, pallor, depression and consumption. 

 It is a great mistake in some of our towns and vil- 

 lages, the excessive shade close about the houses, 

 making them look damp and sepulcral, as indeed 

 they are. True, it is very hard to cut down trees 

 planted by one's own hands, but if they shade our 

 houses, it is necessary to make the sacrifice, unless 

 we value shade more than health. We must let in 

 the blessed sunlight upon our houses. What 

 strength or vigor have plants that grow in a cellar 

 or under a board ? 



Neither do we want trees in our cultivated fields 

 nor gardens; vegetables or crops will ^not thrive 

 under their shade ; and in a pasture, all that are 

 needed are for shades for cattle during mid-day 

 sun. We once knew a man who cut down every 

 tree in his open lots : he "would not be bothered 

 with them in mowing and plowing ;" so when they 

 were turned into pasture lots, it was pitiable to see 

 the cattle and horses try to shield themselves un- 

 der the side of a rail fence. Then he said they 

 were lazy, but we observed that when he stopped 

 for his nooning he always chose a shady spot, and 

 had a very nice "stoop" to rest in, when he took a 

 few moments' quiet. - 



But we want more forests and larger wood lot^ 

 systematically preserved. There is a mania for 

 clearing to€^ much, as if that were the great object 

 in life. Some more common sense views are now 

 and then put forth, and "a little farm well tilled," 

 is maintained by some to be more profitable than a 

 larger one under half cultivation. Forests and 

 woodlots, judiciously thinned from year to year, 

 will take care of themselves, and perhaps yield 

 quite as large a profit in the long run as any por- 

 tion of the farm. Trees are "a growing" even while 

 we are sleeping, and subject to do drought or 

 blight. 



WHl not farmers, instead of pooh-poohing at this 

 as a "newspaper notion," listen to the testimony 

 (rf authority and experience cited above, and set 

 about the preservation of trees ? If every man will 

 do his part, without waiting for others, the work 

 will be done, and we venture to say that if the re-, ~ 

 cord were kept for twenty years, and with the al- 

 lowance for the enriching effects of the one, and 

 the terribly exhausting draughts of the other, trees 

 would be found even more profitable than — tobac- 

 co ! — Boston Cultivator. 



While the East are on the down-hill road, making 

 their country less and less valuable, the Western 

 prairies are improving in regard to timber and for" 

 ests. Timber belts, hedge rows and orchards all 

 combine to make the country more and more val- 

 uable for agricultural purpose and more desirable 

 for residence. The seasons will become more 

 agreeable — the winters more geniiU and the sum- 

 mers less liable to excess of drouth or deluging 

 rains. Plant trees. Roll on the ball, nor faint in 

 the good work. — Ed, \ < - -; 



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; , ' • From the Rural New Yorker. 



Galxisha and PhoBnix— White Willows. 



0. D. BfiAenoN, Ed. Rttral New Yorker — Deab 

 Sir: — I noticed in your paper of May 14th last, an 

 editorial article referring to a conversation which 

 we held in Chicago last September, which is calcu- 

 lated to place me in an unpleasant position, and I 

 hope you will do me the favor of publishing this 

 explanation. 



While we were discussing the merits of the 

 white willow as a tree of value for belts and screens 

 — for neither of us have ever had faith in it for a 

 hedge — the conversation turned upon the imposi- 

 tions which (Unscrupulous peddlers had practiced 

 upon the farmers by selling other varieties under 

 the name of "White" or "Grey Willow." I men- 

 tioned that some of our fraternity (nurserymen) 

 were suffering under charges of like swindling. I, 

 myself, had been accused, by peddlers of cuttings, 

 of "selling white willow of my own growing, when 

 I had never raised a tree or plant of it." Whereas, 

 the fact was I had sold only those of my own grow- 

 ing, and which had been pronounced genuine by 

 the highest botanical authorities. 



Mr. Phoenix had also been charged with "receiv- 

 ing a large quantity of native willows from a swamp 

 near Peoria Lake." Of the fonndution for this 

 chajge I knew nothing, but supposed that I convey- 



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