335 
E RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
the last Congress at its last session to adopt, 
or, rather, to enforce with more stringent pro¬ 
visions. It was not the flret time that the mat¬ 
ter had been urged upon the attention of Con¬ 
gress, but then, as lately, without manifest re¬ 
sults. Another year, therefore, must paeB be¬ 
fore any move can bo hoped for in the desired 
direction. 
“ But,” says one, " have we not already suf¬ 
ficient laws for the preservation of our public 
forests ?” True, we have, if those laws were 
rigidly enforced. But, unfortunately under 
our form of government, it seems to be diffi¬ 
cult to enforce 6uch laws, or, ralher, we have 
not, properly, any clficer whose special duty 
it is to 6ee to their enforcement. Under a 
monarchical government it would probably 
be different; but under our free government 
the opiuion bits seemed to be quite general, 
that the public forests being the property of 
the public, every individual member of that 
public was part owner, and consequently had 
a l ight at any time to take and appropriate 
to his own use or benefit such portions of such 
timbers as he desired. Admitting that it was 
known that Bueh trespasses were prohibited 
by law, yet from its non-enforcement the pro¬ 
hibition came to be considered as merely nom¬ 
inal, and the success of the trespasser in man¬ 
aging to escape any penalty or forfeiture came 
to be regarded as evidence of his peculiar 
smartness, even by those whose duty it was to 
prosecute the offender. And, indeed, we have 
good authority for asserting that our Govern¬ 
ment huB, on some former occasions, paid ex¬ 
travagant prices to contractors for ship tim¬ 
bers which were stolen from its own lands. It 
is some satisfaction, however, to know that 
recently such trespasses are occasionally de¬ 
tected, and the trespassers properly punched. 
Now, this matter of the preservation of oar 
forests, Is oue which immediately affects the 
interests of all our citizens, but more directly 
the interests of the agriculturist, which is my 
apology for attempting to call the attention 
of that class of citizens to it through the 
columns of the Rural New-Yorker, in 
which it might otherwise, perhaps, be consid¬ 
ered out of place. Let each one of that class 
see to it (and their proportion of our voting 
population i6 veiy large) that his Representa¬ 
tive is properly posted on a subject so imme¬ 
diately affecting his interests. It cannot be 
denied that as a rule, a treeless country is but 
another name for a desert land. There maybe 
6ome exceptions, it is true, but still the rule 
is a very general one. Under it successful 
agriculture becomes almost au impossibility 
without a great outlay for irrigation, and 
that is not always practicable or even possible. 
Witness the vast desert plains of portions of 
Asia and Africa, once the seats of civilization, 
and the proud possessions of the most power¬ 
ful peoples of the earth; but now only desolate 
wastes, unoccupied, or occupied only by wau- 
dering tribes of nomadie savages and robbers. 
Witness the central aud some of the south¬ 
western plains of our own territory, now 60 
treeless and naked and almost streamless for 
many hundreds of miles in some directions, 
where one may travel for days in what evi¬ 
dently were ouce the channels of targe streams; 
but in which now scarcely a drop of water 
ever appears. And yet there is good reason 
to believe that on these vast plains, trees once 
grew and flourished, and that Ihe land was 
once occupied aud successfully cultivated by a 
race, long since extinct, who were of a much 
higher grade of civilization than those we are 
accustomed to term ihe aborigines. The con¬ 
servative policy is therefore, I claim, the true 
policy of our Government wilh reference to 
its public forests. True, that policy may not 
be of much avail in the existing Siate9, al¬ 
though ihe General Government claims to 
have its reservatiens in some of those States; 
and further reservations should be judiciously 
made in its remaining territories; and if made, 
let us see to it, that those reservations arc 
properly icspected. 
In most of the countries of Europe the 
forests are placed in the direct charge of 
public officers, appointed for that special pur¬ 
pose, and called “Masters of the Forests," or 
“Conservators of the Forests” or by some 
other equivalent title. For such a course we 
have a precedent of ancient date, for we read 
that in the days of David, King of Israel, a 
special officer, B tal-hanan, the Gedorite, was 
appointed to superintend “ the Olive trees, and 
the Sycamore trees, that were in the low 
plains." In Er.gland the “Crown Forests," as 
they are called, are specially and carefully 
guarded, and, contrary to our practice, their 
extent is being gradually increased from year 
to year. Iu France the main supervision of 
all matters pertaining to the preservation of 
the forests has heretofore been in the hands of 
the Minister of Finance ; but recently a move 
has beeu made to transfer all theso matters to 
the Minister of Agriculture, as being more ap¬ 
propriate, for valid reasons given. 
Would it not be well for us to give the 
charge of our national forest reserves to our 
Commissioner of Agriculture ? or at any rate 
to give the supervision of them to officers 
specially appointed for that purpose, as iu Eu¬ 
rope ? The idea seems to me worthy of serious 
consideration. It may be objected by some 
that it would not only involve additional ex¬ 
pense, but would furnish additional offices for 
partisan pnrposes. But to these objections it 
may be replied, first, that the object is worthy 
of the expenditure ; and second, that the same 
objections would apply to any other of our 
executive officers. 
I claim then, that the conservative policy 
is the true policy of our government in regard 
to its remaining forests, in which the whole 
country is interested. But as connected with 
this whole subject, every individual, especially 
every land owner, has a duty to perform but 
of this I have not space to speak at present 
and therefore rnnst let it pass till time and op¬ 
portunity shall seem favorable. 
-- 
EXPERIENCE IN RAISING TIMBER ON 
THE PRAIRIE. 
Having settled down here upwards of 40 
years ago, I am well acquainted with all the 
trees that thrive in this neighborhood, and for 
growth of tree and durability of wood and 
general nsefulness I know of no tree so valu¬ 
able to the farmer on the Western prairies as 
the European Larch. 
Some six years since I saw a note iu the Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker thatRobt. Douglas, of Wau¬ 
kegan, this State, had larch plants for sale. 
Iu the Spring I visited his nursery and found 
him packiog them by the thousands and send¬ 
ing them in about all directions. I ordered 
4,500 of those about 12 to 15 inches high and 
about as large as black-lead pencils. I had 
the land plowed deep and made mellow, 
planted the young things four feet apart each 
way in straight lines; planted two grains of 
corn on the south side of each young Lee to act 
as shade when the hot and dry weather should 
set in. I cultivated the land well. The ears of 
corn were the largest and best filled on the 
farm. This I attributed to there being only 
two grains in a hill and to the crop being well 
tended. I followed this plan for two seasons. 
Two years afterwards 1 ordered 4,,500 more and 
planted them as above. All have done well. 
Neither heat, cold nor insects have injured 
them so far. I tried to cultivate them the third 
year, but found I could not get the horse and 
cultivator through without injuring the young 
trees. To-day many of those trees stand 16 
to 18 fe*t high, and are six inches through, 
two feet from the ground. The thinning out 
will soon furnish me all the posts I need, and 
they will last longer than any other timber 1 
know of. 
Some25 years since I visited my native home, 
England, au d saw hundreds of acres that had 
been planted since my remembrance: some 
on as good land as I ever saw, and some on 
land as poor as could bo found—gravelly hill¬ 
sides as steep as the roof of a house, land that 
as far back as I can remember did not yield 
the owner oue penny per acre ; yet the timber 
even on this poor land, if sold now, is worth 
double the price of the best meadow or arable 
laud on the estate. 
It may be asked why I did not plant sooner. 
The answer is, first, I had plenty of timber; 
second, I did not know where to get the plants. 
I settled on the open prairie where the wind in 
Winter cut like a two-edged sword; I had often 
to face about iu going from the house to the 
stable to catch breath wheu it was blowing 
one of those northweBtern blizzards we often 
experience on the prairie. I began to plant 
trees—hard maple—the first year, Borne forty 
years since. They grew well and are now 
large trees. Next year 1 bough t some locust 
seeds and planted about half an acre iu drills. 
They grew fast, and had got large enough for 
posts when the borer attacked them aud de¬ 
stroyed the whole, so that I had to dig them all 
up. Now the ground is covered with maple, 
larch, elm, black-walnut, butternut and even 
evergreens of different sorts. My house, out¬ 
buildings and orchards have the protection I 
have long wished for. 
I often hear folks say : “ I have no luck in 
planting, like you.” The great secret in plant¬ 
ing Is to get your land in good and deep tilth. 
Don’t be niggardly of your labor if you want 
the trees to grow, for if you try to cheat them, 
it's likely you will get cheated in the end. To 
mo it is a desolate sight to see a house and out¬ 
building and stock on a cold day without a 
wind-break, when so little time and labor are 
required to raise one, and we now know what 
to plant with safety. For many years past we 
have had more black-walnuts and butternuts 
than our family can use, grown from the seed. 
Winnebago (Jo., Ill. Thomas Lake. 
foraologiral. 
“ HAUSAM’S CHOICE ” APPLE. 
In the year 1816 Daniel Lane, the first white 
mau that settled in this county, two years be¬ 
fore Illinois was admitted into the Union and 
eight years before Paris, our county-3eat, was 
laid out, planted two apple orchards with year¬ 
ling seedling trees brought from Viucennes, In¬ 
diana. One of these was a small orchard of 
about 30 trees planted where his oarn was 
built some years later. These trees received 
the wash of the barn and feed lots, and, 
doubtless, many of them were destroyed by the 
stock. Twenty-five years ago not more than 
half a dozen of them were living. Fifteen 
years ago all had disappeared but a single tree. 
This is now 00 years old, having outlived all 
its fellows. 
It is known throughout the neighborhood as 
the “ Lone Tree," and might with great prop¬ 
riety have been named the “Lone Apple." I 
have j ast examined it. It is perfeeffy hardy ; 
there is not a blemish on it; its trunk, two feet 
above ground, measures eight feet three 
Inches in circumference. It is 25 feet high with 
18 feet spread of the branches. The past sea¬ 
son it has made a moderate growth, and has 
annually, within the recollection of the oldest 
observer in the neighborhood, been producing 
full crops of fine, smooth fruit noted for its 
long-keeping property. It usually keeps 
through May. D. 8. (Jurtls, the oldest nursery¬ 
man in this county, has named it Hausam’s 
Choice, in honor of the son-in-law of Mr. Lane, 
who now owns and lives on the farm. 
B O. Curtis. 
Remarks. —The shape is shown by the en¬ 
graving. Skin rather hard. Flesh nearly 
white, mild, sub-acid, of agreeable flavor; not 
very juicy. Dark red. streaked with darker red. 
-- 
PEACHES. 
In the Michigan “ Fruit Belt.’’ 
T. T. LTON. 
Pullen’s Seedling is a yellow peach, rip¬ 
ening about the middle of September. It orig¬ 
inated with the late Isaac Pullen, of HighL- 
town, N. J., two or three years before bis 
death, which occurred in 1868. It possesses 
desirable qualities as a market fruit, and 
ripens afte r the hight of the peach season—a 
circumstance that renders it the more desir¬ 
able. As far as known, It is grown by very 
few person*, but is esteemed valuable by those 
who know it. 
Keeling's Late Red has fruited here but 
a year or two, aud is not at all disseminated. It 
is a handsome, creamy-white peach, with a red 
cheek and white flesh, reddened at the pit; 
tender, melting, juicy, mild in flavor. It seems 
to be a desirable dessert peach for its season, 
which Is after the middle o( September. It is 
a freestone. 
K export White is one of ihe latest peaches 
generally grown here. It is, in fact, one of the 
latest that can be relied upon to ripen perfectly 
iu unfavorable seasons, aud eau only be re¬ 
commended for southern localities. It Is a 
large, roundish, white peach, with a brilliant 
cheek, very attractive iu appearance—a free¬ 
stone; but it cannot be rated very high in 
quality. It has beeu long known here; but 
has not been extensively plauled. 
Yellow Oblong is a name that comes to us 
from Pennsylvania, designating a peach very 
similar in season and genet al character to 
Smock Free, and of the same season, although 
differing from it in several respects. It seems 
to be a good bearer, and promises well as a 
market peach ; but its reputation in this par¬ 
ticular is yet to be established. 
Ladt Palmerston is one of the late Thomas 
Rivers’s seedlings, of large size, yellow wilh a 
rich, dark-red cheek; flesh, rich, fi.-m, moder¬ 
ately juicy, yellow; flavor, subacid, vinous, 
sprightly. Ripens at the end of September. 
It is entirely new here. I regard it as very 
promising for market purposes. The tree is 
hardy, vigorous and productive; and the foli¬ 
age broad, large and rich, with reuiform glands. 
Freestone. 
Wilkins’s Cling is a name which comes to 
us with trees from Central Ohio, but which is 
not recognized by pomologieal writers, so far 
as I know, even as a synonym. The trees 
have borne, the past season, for the first time 
here ; and, although I have had no opportunity 
for comparison, I from recollection, strongly 
suspect it to be Large White Cling. Ba thi« as 
it may, it is certainly an exceedingly beautiful 
peach, of fine quality, aud productive, ripen¬ 
ing the last of September. Its leaf glands are 
obscurely reniform; while those of Large 
White Cling are said to be globose—a differ¬ 
ence which may possibly be due to hasty ob¬ 
servation. 
-♦ ♦ ♦- 
Shepherdia Akgentea. — Iu connection 
with your notice of the Buffalo Berry in the 
Rural of April 30, the faetshonld be mentioned 
that not only is the tree ornamental, but the 
fruit is useful. The tree is sexual, requiring 
both male and female to produce fruit, but 
when thus grown the fruit is so abundant as to 
show its brilliaut color to the tips of the 
branches. The trees require annual pruning 
to maintain a good form. The berries, when 
canned, make a serviceable sauce and a pleas¬ 
ant pie in Winter. A few trees in any neigh¬ 
borhood would soon incite to their general in¬ 
troduction. Your Rural Brieflets are very in¬ 
teresting, but the clematis, in the same num¬ 
ber, did not receive full justice, as you did not 
mention one of the very best—U. viticella veu- 
osa. Were yon to limit me to one variety for 
Summer blooming, I think this would be my 
choice. It is j ust the thing for coverieg stumps 
or for rock-work ; a vigorous grower, and gives 
au abundance of quite large, reddish, purple- 
veined flowers. a. a. b. 
Newburgh, N. Y. 
itriismait. 
NOTES BY A STOCKMAN. 
In regard to the photographing of animals, 
I might have very properly said in my former 
remarks on this subject, in the Rural of April 
16.h, that the photographer should use the 
long-focus lens wilh which he takeB land¬ 
scapes, and make the animal the center of the 
picture. This lens possesses what micro- 
scopists call penetration as well as breadth ; 
that is. it gives depth to the picture, while one 
used for portraits has neither breadth nor 
depth and the focus is short and no more 
than a point. If one rolls up the hand bo as 
to form a sort of tube, and looks through It 
with one eye at the picture of Prince of the 
Realm, in the above issue, the bull will be 
seen to stand out solidly from the distance 
and then the space between the fore feet will 
be seen naturally. 
“A" is correct in the Rural of April 30. 
in his remarks about this bull. The animal 
was only 15 months old, in ordinary store con¬ 
dition when pictured. Wheu the loin is well 
filled up with full-grown muscle or inside fat, 
the fault in the back will doubtless disappear. 
A year’s growth, too, would lengthen ihe thigh 
and raise the rump and square out the end so 
as to remove the ill setting of the tail; at 
least, that is my judgment. I have not seen 
any of these fine cattle “on their native heath" 
for more than 25 years, and they have been 
greatly improved 6ince then. I entirely agrte 
wilh “ A," whom I think I recognize as one of 
the oldest and best informed judges of cattle, 
as to the demerits of this particular auimal ; 
but among the photographs of other cattle 
sent mo by his owner there are some which I 
am sure “A" would consider equal to the 
best. But this was selected to point a moral 
In regard to photographing live animals. 
I don’t think the plan suggested by “ A” 
forgetting a picture would do. If the artist 
had the experience and the eye for the unities 
of a beast, which “A" possesses, it might do; 
but 1 fear a picture so made up would be a 
thing of shreds and patches,’’ and as unlike a 
good cow or a good bull as Barnum’s wooly 
horse was unlike the Hambletonian. We cannot 
reach perfection and must take the best we 
can get. 
A great deal is said just now about abortion 
among dairy cows. It is causing serious loss 
iu many herds. All sorts of reasons are as' 
8 lgned tor It; but the true cause is overlooked. 
