30 
Keport from the Burlington and Missouri River road says: " Private groves along 
our road have not been seriously damaged by fire, and they do well in nearly every 
case ; private parties being better able to take care of trees than the railroads, hav 
] ng them near by where they can be constantly looked after, and not endangering them 
by fire, as the railroads necessarily must' do in running their trains, and are not so 
liable to have them burned." 
An officer of the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio road says: "I would advise 
to make the plantations at some distance from the railway. Fires are frequent near 
the railway. 
The Louisville and Nashville Company report: " Trees and hedges have been iri- 
j ured by lire along the line of railroad." 
The Michigan Central Eailroad report says: "The damage is serious where grass 
is allowed to grow ; otherwise not." 
The Union Pacific Railway Company report that the damage done by prairie fires 
has been discouraging, but in that proportion as the land becomes occupied by set- 
tlers the danger of fire is diminished. 
To the inquiry whether the companies would be willing to expend a small amount 
annually in tree-planting, the general tenor of the replies is in the negative. Some 
would be willing to engage in experimental planting if others would unite with them 
but few, if any, roads seem to be impressed with a sense of the importance of under- 
taking the work of planting for their own benefit. 
From the Pennsylvania Railroad Company comes this reply, which may be taken 
as a specimen of the general feeling on the subject: "To this question I would an- 
swer yes, if I were the company. But, considering that about twenty- five years would 
be needed to get White Oak large enough for ties, it is hardly probable the importance 
of timber culture will be recognized sufficiently to even spend a small amount, say 
$500 per year, systematically for this." 
The Wabash, Saint Louis, and Pacific Company says: "The company would prob- 
ably consent to make a small expenditure annually in furtherance of tree-culture. 
Timber has heretofore been so abundant and cheap that there has been but little 
necessity for taking the matter into consideration and giving it any attention. It is 
of great importance and should not be longer delayed." 
To the inquiry whether the lands along the lines of railway are too valuable to be 
profitably devoted to tree-planting, while some roads report much of the land as being 
of high value, they generally agree that there is a sufficient quantity of inferior value 
which might be more profitably used for the cultivation of trees than for any other 
purpose. The Louisville and New Albany Company say, for instance, " Our line is 
mostly through cultivated lands, but there are many tracts that would be just the 
thing for tree-culture, while of no value for any other purpose." The Union Pacific 
Company say that there is an abundance of land fit for tree-culture along the com- 
pany's liDes, but it would not be advisable to plant and cultivate at the company's 
expense, for they cannot even protect from thieves the small patches of timber on 
the streams that were formerly found in many sections of their grant. 
To the question, "Would not tree-planting by railways be facilitated if each road 
had in its employ an officer sufficiently acquainted with the relative, value of trees 
and modes of planting to superintend all work of this kind ordered by the managers? " 
the replies are almost unanimously in the affirmative. Most of the companies think 
such an officer would be indispensable, while a few thick the existing officers of the 
roads could manage the business 
