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cultivated with or as for a crop; and the third year it must be silasited with 
seeds of forest trees, the usual result being that the land was not eit se 
vated to secure a good growth of trees by the proper cultivation in future years, ib 
being nearly impossible to remedy what was lac‘ing by ordinary cultivation, so th Mb 
many trees are dwarfed or lost by weeds or drought. ry 
It is also to be feared that quite a proportion of those who entered “ tree claims” 
thought more of complying with the letter of the law, to obtain the land, than with. 
the spirit of if, tosecure a good growth of trees. To even look at some claims is suf-— 
ficient proof that something is wrong. After a few years such parties are frequently | 
glad to sell their claims, often without trees, for a trifle. If reéntered as a tree 
claim it was often by an inexperienced party, who in a few years was also glad to —— 
relinquish” or give away his or her claim to some other party, and who, if expe-— 
rienced, will often enter the land as a preémption or homestead. Such is the history — 
of hundreda if not thousands of tree claims, and it will coutinne to be until the actis — 
ehded or repealed. Happily, in contrast with those described, some model tree 
claims can be found in nearly every county. 
The ital aien vctfally suggests that if the preémption and tree-claim acts are to be 
repealed, as now appears likely, the tree-claim act in some modified foym should 
ingrafted upon the homestead law, so as to require at least 5 acres gf timber trees to— 
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be successfully, cultivated upon each 160-acre homestead in future, quiring two a, 
crops here one now, and thorough cultivation before planting t or seeds. Gia 
Five acres of forest trees upon a-homestead is ouly a reasonable requirement. It ah 
— would also soon greatly modify thé’ climate of the prairies; could be made valuab 
as a wind-break the farm residence and other buildings; copld afford desirab 
& & shelter belts for live st ock at different places on ore farm ; - it a few years would fags ee 
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comfort to the ow vner, health to the community, ant hati the lapdscape, 
Faux Counry, » Dakota, 
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