CHAPTER VI 



HOW JOHN SANFORD PLANTED HIS EVERGREEN 



FOREST. 



A Supposable Case. 



It takes people a long timie to become acquainted with the 

 beneficent plans of God. He plants a beautiful forest, you go 

 through it and it is a land of delight. Stony stretches of 

 worthless land are covered with stately trees, they grow In 

 sandy places where without them the land would be worthless. 

 They grow with greater vigor in rich, dark loam. 



This work is not all" laid out for this forest alone. There 

 is a lesson here. If it is hot, these trees give genial shade, 

 [f the winds are lashing the wide prairies in their fury, all is 

 calm in these deep woods. In winter, when the northwind 

 sweeps the land, his terrors cannot invade this forest of ever- 

 greens. The lesson is "Plant a forest around your home." 



With great courage Mr. Sanford moved out onto a new 

 farm in one of the northwest prairie counties of the state. His 

 land, save a sandy knoll, was rich, producing fine crops. But 

 how the winds would blow! Spring and fall it seemed at times 

 a martyrdomi to live; while in the winter his home was like a 

 fort, bombarded by all the storms that swept the land. The 

 family was homesick. How could they help it? 

 They held a consultation. All they had was in- 

 vested there. The land was good, they had good 

 neighbors. If they could only be screened from the winds and 

 have forest conditions out on that bleak prairie, instead of be- 

 ing dreary, it would be la, delightful land. They took farm 

 papers and bought books and laid their plans. They wanted a 

 grove of Pines on the sandy land on the North. They .wanted a 

 row of evergreens all around the farm. First they would plant 

 deciduous trees, such as grew in the nearest forests and would 

 be sure to live. Some one told them to plant Tree Honey- 

 suckles around the garden. Finding where they could get the 

 hardy Tartarian tor five dollars per 100 they secured and plant- 

 ed them. They grew rapidly. Outside of these there was a 

 row of Ash. All were well cultivated. North of the plat de- 

 signed tor evergreens several rows of native trees were planted 

 and well cultivated. They were agreeably surprised in a year 

 or two by the protecton these afforded. 



In the mieantime preparations were made for a nursery of 

 evergreens in the sheltered garden. Mr. Sanford had heard . 

 that the Ponderosa Pine could be grown like peas, If sown in^ 



