TREE PLANTING AND GROWING ON THE PLAINS. 
Hon. GEo. B. LORING, 
Commissioner of Agriculture: 
Str: This paper is intended only as a brief presentation of experiences 
and results concerning tree culture and tree growing onthe western 
plains, made by and coming under immediate observation of the writer 
during a residence of twenty-seven years west of the Missouri River, in’ 
the Territory and State of Nebraska, the principal object being to show 
what has been done practically, is being and may be done, converting a 
naturally timberless portion of country into a tree-growing region. 
Taking the geography of boyhood days, together with official reports of 
Captain Miles, United States Army, and the western explorer, Colonel 
Fremont, relating to that portion of the national domain situate between 
the Missouri. River and Rocky Mountains, as a basis for conclusions, 
there was at date of extinguishment of Indian title to these lands in 
1854 nothing enticing to enterprising adventurers seeking new homes in 
the far West, especially in matters of tree-growing. The thought that 
the then naked plains would ever be transformed into groves of valu- 
able timber was not entertained. Those who first came, during the 
years 1854~55-’56, soon discovered, however, that, particularly along 
the borders of streams and where prairie fires were kept out, there was 
promising spontaneous indigenous growth of valuable varieties of timber 
—oaks, black walnut, hickories, elms, ashes, red mulberry, honey locust, 
hackberry, linden, soft maple, sycamore, Kentucky coffee tree, red 
cedar, cottonwoods, willows, and others. Still later it was found by 
experiment that native seedlings transplanted into carefully prepared 
soil did well on high uplands—out on the open prairie not only did 
well, but grew with remarkable vigor and rapidity, showing character- 
istics of excellence in quality. To those of indigenous growth were 
added in time varieties of foreign origin—hard or sugar maple, Ameri- 
can chestnut, white walnut, poplar, beech, birch, black locust, larch, 
pines, catalpa, black cherry, and others. While success followed efforts 
in this direction, only the most sanguine adventurous experimenters had 
faith in ultimate practical results. In time, through an act of the 
Territorial legislature, creating a board of agriculture, the labors of 
the board organized under its provisions, and afterwards liberal legis- 
lative appropriations, keeping out annual fires, and other aids and pre- 
cautions, tree-growing in Nebraska,is universally conceded a success. 
There is now no hesitancy or risk in predicting in the near future that 
it will be known and characterized as a timber-producing region of 
country. 
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