GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 11 



circumference 2 feet 4 inches ; cotton-wood trees, ten years' growtb, cir- 

 cumference 2 feet 9 inches ; cotton-wood trees, ten years' growth, circum- 

 ference 2 feet 10 inches ; common locust, ten years' growth, circumference 

 2 feet, 1 foot 10 inches, 1 foot 9 inches, 1 foot 10 inches, 2 feet, 2 feet 1 

 inch, 2 feet, 1 foot 10 inches, 2 feet 5 inches, 1 foot 10^ inches ; soft 

 maple, seven years old, circumference 8 inches ; box-elder, ten years old, 

 circumference 2 feet 2 inches; apple-trees, ten years' growth, circum- 

 ference 1 foot 3 inches, 1 foot 1 inch, 1 foot 2 inches, 1 foot 1 inch ; twelve 

 years' growth, 1 foot 6 inches, 1 foot 3 inches, 1 foot 6^ inches, 1 foot 6 

 inches; common red-cherry trees, ten years' growth, circumference 12 

 inches; silver-poplar shade-trees, seven years' growth, circumference 2 

 feet 4 inches. 



Dr. Lowe's garden shows a most healthy and vigorous growth of the 

 smaller fruits, and he has raised successfully out of doors the following 

 vines: Hartford Prolific, Catawba, Clinton, Delaware, and Concord. 

 These vines, are loaded with young fruit at tbis time. Pears, apples, and 

 cherries abundant; peaches plentiful, but I do not think they will en- 

 dure the climate. Dr. Lowe has the following evergreens, which are 

 growing finely : Scotch pine, Austrian, Eussian, white pine, spruce, 

 balsam-fir, white cedar, or arbor-vitas, and red cedar. 



Near the mouth of the Platte Rev. J. G. Miller raises successfully the 

 Diana grape. Lombardy-poplars grow well; four years old, 20 feet high, 

 2 to 5 inches in diameter. Cotton-wood, four years old, circumference 18 

 inches, and 20 feet high. 



Mr. Miller's place is one of the most highly cultivated in the State. 

 He has twenty-five apricot-trees, raised from the seed, which are now 

 loaded with fruit ; English red raspberries, blackberries, &c., all bearing 

 thriftily. 



At Rev. Mr. Hamilton's, Bellevue, Sarpy County, I saw most of the 

 smaller fruits in a high state of cultivation, as strawberries, blackberries, 

 raspberries, currants, gooseberries, &c., and I am convinced that none 

 finer could be produced in any country. 



On Mr. J. Sterling Morton's farm, near Nebraska City, I observed a 

 cotton-wood tree that had grown from the seed in ten years to a height 

 of 50 feet, with a circumference of 4 feet. 



About ten miles south of Plattsmouth there is a fine grove of trees 

 upon a high elevation, composed of cotton-woods, maples, locusts, and 

 black-walnuts. Those of ten years' growth are from 8 to 10 inches in 

 diameter, and 10 to 30 feet high. The black-walnut trees may be raised 

 from the seed with ease, and though of slower growth than the others, 

 are very valuable from the fact that the astringent, pungent bark forms 

 their defense, not only against cattle, but the gopher, the most destruc- 

 tive of the wild animals. The gopher gnaws off the roots of some of the 

 most valuable trees, and is a source of great annoyance to the farmer. 

 The native or honey locust is not disturbed by the boring-insect, which 

 is destroying the common locust. The borer sometimes attacks the 

 cotton-woods. 



I have said enough to show already that most of the hardy northern 

 trees may be cultivated on these western plains with entire success. The 

 cultivated forest will prove much more desirable than those of natural 

 growth, and their arrangements may be made as beautiful as the taste of 

 the proprietor may dictate. The greater portion of the more intelligent 

 and thrifty farmers are planting forests to greater or less extent. Thi& 

 is done so easily that there is no excuse for a farmer to be destitute of 

 fuel alter a few years. Nearly all the common forest- trees can be raised 

 from the seed as easily as corn or beans. As soon as it is understood 



