36 



left on the ground; otherwise the land will be exhausted; more time will be 

 taken in gathering and housing the corn than in cutting and seasoning the 

 Wood. On the other hand, the hickories require one preparation of the 

 land and cultivation for three or four years, after which the trimmings and 

 nuts will more than pay all charges for rent of land -and labor in earing for 

 the trees. The land will grow richer year by year, and is planted for many 

 BucoessiTe crops ; and such crops of 40 cords of wood will be produced in less 

 time than was the first one, or they will greatly exceed the amount. To pro- 

 duce the equivalent of fifteen cords of wood— the necessary amount for the 

 consumption of one family, it will take sixteen acres of land. Three-eighths 

 of an acre of hickory trees is sufficient for the same purpose. But as the 

 land can be cut over but once in twenty-five years, it will take 9|^ acres to 

 produce fifteen cords for twenty-fivo years. This amount may be reduced by 

 cutting and using all the brush. Thus there may be a saving of nearly one- 

 half of the land that would be taken to produce the equivalent of corn, and 

 which would yield no other production to assist in paying rents on land. 

 Moreover the trees would give an advantage by being planted in the form of 

 a timber belt in acting as a shelter from the winds; 



Similar and even greater results would be reached by planting the more 

 rapidly growing trees, as the white maple, elm, butternut, locust, walnut or 

 ash, which would grow higher, and could be cut in a shorter time, although 

 the Wood might be lighter. Moreover corn yields' more ash than any of the 

 woods, thereby extracting from the soil a larg«r amount of salts,'an-d espe- 

 pially of potash, without which no soil can be made to produce vegetation. 



In conclusion, we say that the most certain, lasting, cheapest and best 

 means of creating and maintaining a full supply of cheap fuel, is secured by 

 trees ; and that to get trees, it is best to plant the seeds and raise them. 

 Other sources of supply are transient and can be soon exhausted, but trees 

 will grow with time itself, reproducing th^njselves while they purify the at- 

 mosphere, and adorn the surface of the earth. 



THE DUTY OF THE STATE. 



In view of the dangers thus shown to be threatening the future welfare of 

 Wisconsin, it Surely should be the duty of some competent authority to make 

 such efforts as may be deemed necessary to avert them. Should an enemy 

 appear upon our borders threatening us With these disasters, money would be 

 at once raised without limit, men would be pressed (if necessary) into the 

 service, and every effort made to repel the invasion ; and surely it can be no 

 less the duty of the state to interpose its authority for the same object when 

 no such extraordinary exercise of power is needed. The labor of the wise 

 and good for many generations past, has resulted in the civilization of the 

 nineteenth century, and shall it be said, that for a want of prudent fore- 

 sight, the men of that century ifeglected the means necessary to prevent its 

 destruction. The eminence now secured is certianly worth preserving ; and 



