October 21, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



503 



and flowing surface ; but it is almost entirely ineffective, owing 

 to the depth and mobility of the sand and the great force of the 

 wind. A ridge or plateau of sand, from ten to twenty feet in 

 depth and several acres in extent, is sometimes removed in 

 a few hours. 



I think the whole of the desert area might be reclaimed and 

 rendered stable and productive, and the wooded region de- 

 fended from further injury ; but no effort for these ends can 

 be successful unless the means used are adapted to the essen- 

 tial conditions and requirements of the problem. These have 

 been entirely disregarded hitherto. The work of restoration 

 must, of necessity, begin at the edge of the water, at the place 

 where the wind which moves the sand first exerts its force. 



A temporary barrier or wind-break, extending a consider- 

 able distance along the shore, would be required. A hedge 

 or wall, formed of several rows of closely planted Cedar-sap- 

 lings, or something of a similar character, would afford the 

 protection needed, and under the shelter of this hedge could 

 be planted such cuttings and young trees as are thought best 

 adapted to growth in such conditions, some species of Willow 

 and of Poplar, the Pitch Pine and other suitable trees. One 

 species of Poplar grows rapidly and becomes very large along 

 the streets of Provincetown, where it is absurdly called the 

 " Silver Oak." 



The hedge of Cedar-saplings would not be planted to grow, 

 but it would last a long while, would catch most of the sand 

 that might be raised by the wind between the hedge and the 

 sea, and would afford shelter for the growth of the cuttings 

 and young trees planted at its foot on the landward side. 



Only a narrow strip could be thus defended at first, and, 

 therefore, only a narrow strip could be planted at once with 

 any possibility of success. The planting of a broad area at 

 the beginning of the undertaking would be entirely unscientific 

 and impracticable. After the young trees of the first narrow 

 strip of plantation along the shore have begun to grow, another 

 narrow belt, on the landward side of the first, can be planted, 

 but the requisite shelter for later strips or belts of planting can 

 be supplied only by the growth of the first belt. The essen- 

 tial requirements for the enterprise would be a small begin- 

 ning, careful attention to details, unremitting watchfulness 

 and fostering of the young plants and the extension of the 

 plantations by successive narrow belts. After a beginning is 

 successfully made, short lateral spurs could probably be ex- 

 tended from the base line of the planting at frequent intervals 

 and at various angles. Much time would be indispensable, 

 and great patience and faithful industry. 



This state reservation is under the care of a state agent who 

 is appointed by the governor and council. He is by law em- 

 powered to give permits for the cutting of timber and of sods 

 on the state lands. The sods are not of grass, but of the roots 

 of the bushes and shrubs growing on the land, and when these 

 sods are removed all the soil is taken up with them, down to 

 the inert sand, which is then blown away by the wind, thus 

 adding to the area of desert. The sods are much desired and 

 much used by the people of the village for "bulk-heads," 

 terraces, banks, walls and many similar constructions, It is 

 almost the only building material available for the people of 

 the village without cost, but it does not belong to them. It is 

 the property of the state and ought to be protected from spolia- 

 tion. The removal of the soil is robbery of the most fatal kind. 



The state agent is not, in any considerable degree, efficient. 

 He appears to be extremely honest and conscientious in wish- 

 ing to avoid expense to the state in the administration of his 

 office. He grants very few permits. The fee for each permit 

 is one dollar. All fees are turned over to the public treasury, 

 and the agent is allowed three dollars a day for time actually 

 employed in the duties of his office. He told me that, to save 

 expense to the state, he seldom visits the reservation. I think 

 that, as a matter of fact, he gives it no considerable attention, 

 and scarcely ever sees much of its area. As a consequence, 

 people do not take the trouble to apply for permits to cut wood 

 or sods, but take what they want without permission. The 

 reserve is despoiled of both wood and sods without scruple. 

 Many of the Portuguese laborers in the town obtain fuel for 

 domestic uses from the state lands, carrying home the wood 

 on theiF backs after the regular labor of the day is over ; but 

 the native Yankees also contribute their full share to the 

 spoliation. 



The proximity of thousands of acres of wooded land, with- 

 out apparent ownership or efficient supervision, is a perpetual 

 provocation and inducement to theft, and it would have a simi- 

 lar effect anywhere. I have repeatedly observed about the 

 same state of things on Indian reservations in Dakota and 

 Idaho, and on the public domain in the Coast-range region. 

 While this Massachusetts reservation remains unguarded and 



uncared for it must continue to exert a demoralizing influence 

 upon the adjacent community. 



I think the law relating to the administration of the reserve 

 should be so changed that no cutting of timber for use outside 

 of the limits of the reservation shall be authorized or per- 

 mitted, and the removal of sods and soil should be entirely 

 prohibited. 



The town officers of Provincetown and other leading citizens 

 would be glad to see an efficient supervision of the province 

 lands established and maintained by the state. There is much 

 talk of various schemes of real-estate men for the use and 

 improvement of this state property as a means of attracting 

 summer visitors and revenue to the village, but the first thing 

 for the people of the state to consider is the need of proper 

 care for the property of the commonwealth, and the adoption 

 of an efficient system of treatment for the reclamation of the 

 desert area and the preservation of the extensive wooded re- 

 gion which still remains unburied. 



So far as can now be understood or foreseen, the advancing 

 sand will in time, if it is let alone, bury the remaining wood- 

 land and destroy the village and harbor. 

 'Boston, Mass. J. B. Harrison. 



Sawdust for Protecting- Plants. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — In your issue of September 30th Professor Massey 

 writes on the value of sawdust as a protection for plants. I 

 should like to add my testimony as to its merits as a winter 

 covering. It is somewhat difficult in city gardens to procure 

 an annual supply and care for it from year to year. It sur- 

 passes, however, every other material I have ever used for 

 the purpose. I have found it very valuable for wintering Car- 

 nation-seedlings, as it carries them through without any ap- 

 preciable loss, and it is worth trying for any plant that suffers 

 from the cold or severe winds of winter. The proper article 

 to use is coarse sawdust from large circular saws used for 

 manufacturing lumber. Of course, this dust shoujd be kept 

 dry by a covering of boards or building-paper or anything else 

 which will shed rain to a reasonable extent. 



Charles L. Mann. 



Milwaukee, Wis. 



Recent Publications. 



Annals of Horticulttire in North America for the Year i8go 

 By L. H. Bailey. 



This volume follows closely the methods of the Annals for 

 the year 1889, and the series promises to be of real value as 

 books of reference. Of course it must be admitted that a com- 

 pendious record of the advance in horticultural science and 

 practice year after year would be a help to all who have any 

 interest in gardening. This would be true if the work did no 

 more than collect and classify facts that have already been 

 published, and arrange them so that they can be conveniently 

 referred to. But, as Professor Bailey says in his preface, 

 it is very difficult to lay out a plan for such a series which 

 shall include what is most essential and exclude all other 

 matter. The author had determined, apart from the Annals 

 proper, to publish in each volume an investigation of 

 some particular branch of American horticulture, as he did, 

 last year, in his Catalogue of American Kitchen Garden Vege- 

 tables, which was the most elaborate chapter in the book. 

 This year he had decided to make a census of native North 

 American plants which have been introduced into cultivation, 

 together with their horticultural varieties, but the work was 

 one of such magnitude that it has been postponed. 



The first part of the book gives a general view of fruits and 

 vegetables during the year, with statistics of crops and prices 

 and the like. Ornamental plants and ornamental gardening is 

 next treated in the same way, and this is followed by an inter- 

 esting and valuable sketch of what has been accomplished 

 during the year in the way of treating plant diseases and inju- 

 rious insects. A list of the sub-titles of the remaining section 

 of Part I. will give the best idea of the character of the subjects 

 treated. They are: "Legal Control of New Varieties," "Nomen- 

 clature," "Road Agitation," " The Census," " The New Tariff," 

 " Educational Matters," " American Wild Flower Clubs," "So- 

 cieties." Part II. is devoted to special annals, including the 

 introductions of the year and the plant portraits, together with 

 a directory of the most important horticultural societies of 

 North America and of persons in charge of horticultural work 

 in the experiment stations, a list of botanic gardens in the 

 world, a title-index to publications of the experiment stations 

 relating to horticulture, and a subject-index of the same sort, 

 the books of the year, a list of the horticultural periodicals and 



