264 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
The Eecent Forestry Meeting. 
The first step in all great reforms is to convince the 
public of the existence of the evil to be remedied. For 
many years those interested in the preservation of our 
forests, and in forest-tree planting, have been engaged 
in showing the present rapid destruction of our timber, 
and in demonstrating that, at the present rate of de¬ 
crease, we shall be practically treeless at no very distant 
time. Most effective in showing this, have been the 
maps issued by the Forestry Department of the Census. 
A glance at these is more impressive than a volume of 
description. That the people are in part aroused to the 
importance of the tree question, is shown by the offer¬ 
ing by some of the Western States, of bounties for tree 
planting, in the abatement of taxes for a given area 
planted in trees: also.in the appointment of “Arbor- 
Day” as a State holiday, in which the people can have 
a frolic in planting trees by the road-side and elsewhere. 
The recent meeting of the Forestry Association, which 
began at Cincinnati on April 25th, has a special import¬ 
ance, from the fact that, by bringing together men from 
a large number of States, it indicates united action. 
Especial interest was given to the meeting by the promi¬ 
nent part taken by the Governor of Ohio, and other 
State and Municipal officers. There were representa¬ 
tives, including governors and professors in colleges, 
and others, from Alabama, Kentucky, Iowa, Wisconsin, 
Michigan. Arkansas, Nebraska, and elsewhere. Espe¬ 
cially noticeable was the large attendance from Canada, 
which seems ready to take a timely warning by our neg¬ 
lect of our forests, and act for the preservation of their 
own while there is yet time. A number of interesting 
papers were read, and discussions followed. A paper of 
special interest was sent by the venerable ex-Governor 
Horatio Seymour, who, in his retirement from political 
life, devotes himself to agricultural pursuits. 
An interesting part of the proceedings was the plant¬ 
ing at 8th Street Park, hereafter to be called Garfield 
Place, of twelve memorial trees, in honor of the late 
President. The trees were sent from Mentor by Mrs. 
Garfield, and the planting was done by young ladies. A 
permanent organization was perfected, to be known as 
the “American Forestry Congress.” Its most important 
act was the appointment of a committee to present to 
Congress the claims of forestry upon national legisla¬ 
tion, and to procure the enactment of needed laws. 
Tlie I>eatl« ol' €l>arles SJavwin.— These 
■words record the loss, at the ripe age of 74, of the 
greatest naturalist of the age, and one whose labors 
have been largely for the benefit of farmers and horti¬ 
culturists. His views have been much discussed by 
those who knew the least about them, and this pure- 
minded, reverent naturalist has been most abused by 
those who have never read his books. As to the conclu¬ 
sions to which he came in following the way in which 
facts led him, we have nothing to say, and that is a mat¬ 
ter of minor importance. As to his facts, these have 
never been disputed. The great service Darwin has ren¬ 
dered the world, has been in teaching people how to see. 
His methods of investigation, so simple and so thorough, 
have been of the greatest benefit in every department of 
scientific research. Whatever may have been his influ¬ 
ence upon the thought of his time, he has benefited the 
workers and investigators of his day to an extent be¬ 
yond that of any other. That which brings him nearer 
to our class of readers than anything else, is his work on 
“Plants and Animals Under Domestication,” — and 
what a wonderful store-house of facts and references it 
is 1 No breeder of animals, and no intelligent grower 
of plants, can be regarded as thoroughly equipped for 
his pursuit unless he has this work at hand for refer¬ 
ence. Every young gardener should read his work on 
the “Movements of Climbing Plants,” if only to see 
how the commonest things relating to plants, when 
properly observed, may become of the greatest interest 
and value. No horticulturist can afford to be without 
the information contained in his work on “ Cross and 
Self-fertilization in the Vegetable Kingdom,” if he 
would intelligently work at the production of new varie¬ 
ties. This great observer of facts was most modest in 
his statement of the conclusions to which he thought 
these facts pointed, and no man was more flee from 
self-assertion. The writer, in correspondence with him, 
soon after the appearance of “Animals and Plants Under 
Domestication,” said, with reference to the newly an¬ 
nounced view of “Pangenesis,” “ I have read it, and it 
almost took away my breath.” In his reply, he said: 
“You say that it almost took away your breath? Well, 
I do not wonder at it. Still, I am convinced that, per¬ 
haps in a modified form, this view, or something like it, 
will come to be accepted”; showing an absence of 
egotism characteristic of the man. Darwin did not need 
Westminster Abbey, but Westminster needed Darwin, 
and he was buried there by the side of Newton. That 
wonderful repository of England’s precious dust, has an 
added attraction to every naturalist who visits Europe. 
For JUNE. 
SPECIAL PREMIUMS, 
(N. B.—The following offers will hold 
good ONLY from the reception of this 
paper , up to July 3d, next): 
Any person sending a subscription to 
the American Agriculturist for one year, 
at the regular rate ($1.50), will be pre¬ 
sented with siBiy one of the following, 
delivered by mail, post-paid, to any part 
of the United States or Territories (the 
Pot-grown Plants excepted): 
No. s.—Any one of the One Hundred 
Good Books described on pages 124 
and 125 of the March number of the 
American Agriculturist. 
OR, 
No. 2.—The American Popular Diction¬ 
ary, described on page 124 of March 
American Agriculturist. 
OR, 
No. 3.—24 Bidwell Strawberry Plants, 
post-paid; OR, 15 Pot-grown Bidwell 
Strawberry Plants, by express, un¬ 
paid, as described in March American 
Agriculturist, page 124. 
OR. 
No. 4. — The “American Agriculturist 
MICROSCOPE,” described on page 
173 of April American Agriculturist. 
The Grain and Produce Speculation. 
Contrary to the general expectation, the manipulators 
of the Breadstuff and Provision Markets are still able to 
hold up prices, by the sheer force of abundant capital in 
the hands of a few individuals who work in combina¬ 
tion. It now looks as if they may be able to continue 
to do so for a month or two more, until, their ends being 
accomplished, they can unload their stocks, partly upon 
entrapped “ bears,” and more upon unsuspecting and 
deluded “ Iambs.” If any unlooked for disaster hap¬ 
pens to the maturing crops, the “ deals ” can perhaps 
be carried through the season. 
While the speculative prices prevent exports, to the 
detriment of the country at. large, and of farmers them¬ 
selves in the future, as explained in a former number, 
there is of course a positive demand for food and seed 
that must be met at any price which those controlingthe 
supplies may choose to demand. The rates thus main¬ 
tained are to the temporary advantage of those produc¬ 
ers who have still on hand an uncontracted surplus from 
last year’s crops. But the mass of producers have 
reaped little advantage, as the manipulators took good 
care to get in hand, or under contract, a very large part 
of the crop of 1881, before beginning operations on an 
extensive scale. On the other hand, the great mass of 
consumers throughout the entire country are suffering, 
because of the abnormal high rates, a large percentage 
of which goes into the pockets of the speculators. 
The harvest has commenced at the far South, and is 
moving northward, with no unfavorable features so far. 
The present out-look is favorable generally, a few local¬ 
ities excepted, though tbe cold weather is continuing 
so late that fears of the results are indulged on the 
part of some. There is this encouragement to farmers, 
that if the crops give only an average yield, or less, 
higher prices will bring the total receipts from the di¬ 
minished products nearly, if not quite, up to or beyond 
what would be obtained from a crop largely in excess of 
the average yield, as that would reduce prices. 
THE END. 
Important Notice. 
The offers of the General Premiums 
for Volume 41 will terminate on June 30. 
All who have premium lists in prog¬ 
ress, will need to complete them and call 
for the premiums before that date, or 
they cannot he supplied. 
We advise every reader to take advan¬ 
tage of this opportunity to obtain one or 
more of these articles. 
A Thousand New Lists 
can easily be made up before the end 
of June—lists of two, three, four, five, 
and many more,names of subscribers, old 
and new—and any corresponding pre¬ 
mium article be obtained without price 
In past years many clubs of 50 to 150 
names have been started and made up 
in May and June. 
SPECIAL, 
Two half-yearly subscriptions (July to 
December, inclusive) may be counted for 
one whole year, in making up a premium 
list. Indeed we will be pleased to have 
such subscriptions, being assured that 
every one who reads this Journal as it 
will be during the next six months, will 
be certain to continue a permanent reader. 
Full Descriptive Lists with Illustra¬ 
tions will be forwarded post-paid to any 
one who has not a copy at hand, on ap¬ 
plication by postal card or otherwise. 
For Far-Off Subscribers, 
those too distant to receive this number 
before June 10, we will try and pro¬ 
vide premiums, if they send forward 
their lists within 20 days after this June 
number comes to hand. 
