4hM S© 
r 
FORESTRY.—No. 31. 
DR. JOHN A. WARDER, 
Cape Cod. 
Planting on waste lands of the wind-blown 
peninsula—The poor, worn out sands of 
Orleans—Mr. Kenricke's experience—The 
success of Mr. Jos. S. Fay at Woods Holl — 
Bis situation, manor and methods—Ex¬ 
posure to the sea winds—Imported trees — 
Seeds scattered on the surface of the ex¬ 
hausted pasture-lands—Those thrown in 
shallow furrows more successful; various 
kinds used—Natives preferred—Actual 
measure and results—Valuations of artifi¬ 
cial timber lots—Planting will pay even on 
poor soils. 
For some years past we have occasionally 
seen notices of the tree planting that has been 
in progress in this part of Massachusetts, and 
a visit of inspection was determined upon, the 
results of which, with information kindly 
furnished by some of the inhabitants, will 
now be presented to the readers of the Rural. 
The western end A the extended region 
known as the Cape is made up of diluvial 
drifts composed of gravels, with frequent 
boulders m Lxed w i th sands. The eastern horn 
of this peninsula is almost pure sand washed 
up from the sea, and tossed by the winds into 
changing dunes so happily described by the 
keen observer, Thoreau, that all who have 
read bis “ Cape Cod * will feel like revisiting 
'amiliar scenes when they explore the region 
even fo .* the first time, and though interested 
alone in the woody growth of the land. 
Years this region was chiefly valued for 
Its wood, b it even this was greatly diminished 
by the Introduction of sheep-husbandry. As 
already stated, the soil covering the drift is 
exceedingly shallow, the land, to a western 
farmer appears so poor that he wonderB how 
any one could expect to make a living from 
it 1 y agriculture. Wide tracts are covered 
by a miserable grass interrupted here and 
there by patches of bushes, savins, Scrub- 
oaks, Wax Myrtle, and huckleberries. 
Occasionally the Pitch Pines rear their low 
heads above the undergrowth, and this species 
has wisely been employed in making the ex¬ 
periments of reforesting, that have been at¬ 
tempted and are crowned with a satisfactory 
degree of success in the production of fire¬ 
wood, not timber, though, under [favorable 
conditions, as formerly, in the natural forests 
the Pmus rigida furnished dimension timb¬ 
ers of value. 
The method... pursued in attempting to 
clothe these bare fields with tree-growth were 
indeed very primitive: the seeds were sown 
broad-cast upon the surface, and the young 
plants were allowed to struggle as best they 
might among the scanty herbage. Observa¬ 
tions were made at two points, one at Orleans, 
which is situated near the middle of the pen¬ 
insula where it is very narrow, the waters of 
the Atlantic on one side almost meeting those 
of the Bay on the other. Here through the 
kindness of Mr. Kenricke an opportunity was 
afforded to examine his plantations of the 
Pitoh Pine, which had been sown in furrowB 
about five feet apart. The trees were making 
a fair growth and looking well except where 
attacked by an insect that destroyed the lead¬ 
ing shoot. Mr. Kenricke had plowed a small 
tract, on which he had planted other species 
which were cultivated. The soil is very thin 
and when lying fallow, or covered with trees, 
the surface has little vegetation except mosses 
and lichens. 
In this neighborhood there are about 1,000 
acres appropriated to trees, a portion of which 
has already been cut off for fire-wood and has 
yielded very satisfactory returns. 
The country eastward from Sandwich was 
mostly bare or partially covered with bushes, 
but here and there extensive tracts had been 
planted with the Pitch Pine, in rows which 
seemed to be doing well. It was a matter of 
surprise to the visitor interested in sylvi¬ 
culture, not that[some of the inhabitants had 
planted, but that, with the demonstration be¬ 
fore them that trees could quickly be pro¬ 
duced on a soil that is worthless for any other 
use, any land should be allowed to remain idle 
wuen, in a few years, a rich harvest could be 
derived from the wood markets of Boston so 
accessible by water. 
The other and by far the most] interesting 
visit was made to the property of Mr. Joseph 
8. Fay, at Woods Holl, at what Mr. Thoreau 
might have called the shoulder of Cape Cod, 
as he styles Orleans the elbow. This region is 
broken into hills and hollows, irregular eleva¬ 
tions of the stony and gravelly drift being in¬ 
tersected by low grounds, swamps and inlets 
from the sea. In this part of Barnstable, as 
in the adjoining county of Plymouth, there 
was a greater proportion of natural woods, 
containing e mere liberal proportion of white 
pine end oaV«. 
At the very southwest corner of this shoul¬ 
der was found, at Woods Holl, the interesting 
plantations of our worthy friend who had 
dared, in the very teeth of old ocean, to brave 
his storms, and to plant trees to shelter him¬ 
self from the wild sea-storms to which he was 
exposed on three sides. The visit and inspec¬ 
tion were deeply interesting and highly satis¬ 
factory; but to do the subject justice it will 
be best to quote his own account, with which 
he has kindly favored the writer*. 
After referring to some small experiments 
of others in neighboring towns, in which small 
patches of handsome White Pine had been 
produced from seed, he says: “ I know of hut 
few attempts to plant a body, say even an 
acre, of deciduous trees from the seed, such as 
Oak, chestnut, hickory, aBk, maple, Black 
and Yellow Birch, either of which I am sure 
would give satisfactory results.” Referring 
to a lot of 100 square rods of cheBtnuts on poor 
soil, he says the owner estimates the timber to 
be worth $300, which is $450 per acre. The 
trees were planted 45 years ago; on such land 
no other crop w ould have done better. 
“ I will now come to my own experience, 
which can be briefly stated. Iu 1S54 I took 
possession of a place 1 had purchased at Woods 
Holl, at the south western extremity of Cape 
Cod, on a peninsula between the Vineyard 
Sound on the south and Buzzard’s Bay on 
the north, to the shores of both of which my 
land extended. My house was prettily situ¬ 
ated, with regard to the water, fronting south, 
standing above Little Harbor, so-called, and 
looking upon and over the Sound. In the 
rear, to the northward, the land rose gradu¬ 
ally, but not far, till it reached a ridge, or 
series of bare hills, running parallel to and 
overlooking the Sound. Over and behind 
these, on the north slope and in a valley un¬ 
seen from the water on the south, were about 
25 acres of natural growth of oak, hickory, 
beech and Hop-Hornbeam, with a few Pep- 
peridge and Red Maples on the borders of a 
swamp In sight of my house, about the har¬ 
bor and indeed in all the village there was not 
a tree to be seen except three of the Balm of 
Gilead Poplar, nor was there a single ever¬ 
green on my whole place." 
(To be continued.) 
iilisallfiumts. 
CATALOGUES ETC.. RECEIVED. 
Business Directory of the Burlington, 
Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway. This 
little volume of 288 pages is a complete busi¬ 
ness, professional and manufacturing guide 
to the cities, towns and villages along the 
above popular route. Carefully and consci¬ 
entiously compiled by Messrs. Holmes and 
Sweetland, it should be a valuable work of 
reference for all interested in this section of 
which it treats. 
Cotton ank Woolen Mills ok Europe. 
This pamphlet of 398 pages consists of reports 
of the U. S. Consuls in Europe, in answer to 
a circular from the Department of State. It 
is published at the Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D. C. 
Congress and the Revenue and Indus¬ 
trial Problem, David A. Wells in the Prince¬ 
ton Review. 
Regulative Action ok Birds upon In¬ 
sect Oscillations. By S. A. Forbes, Nor¬ 
mal, Ill. 
Report of the Commissioner ok Agri¬ 
culture for 1882. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Illinois. 
Aurora, Kane Co., Dec. 25.—Small grain 
in this section was a success, but corn is about 
half a crop and not very sound at that. 1 
think corn will bring 75 cents a bushel by 
June 1. Our buyers are paying to-day for 
corn 55 cents; oats, 84; potatoes, 75. Potatoes 
yielded a good crop, but rotted badly in the 
Fall. Hogs are very low, considering the 
corn crop, buyers paying $6 a 100 pounds for 
good to choice packing lots. Our creameries 
are doing well this Winter by their patrons, 
paying $1.50 for December and November, 
and in January. They will pay $1.60 and $1,70 
for February. l. c. d. 
Baileyville, Ogle Co., January 2.—The 
new year begins auspiciously. Snow fell on 
Christmas, sufficient to renew the sleighing, 
and as the roads are solid and in fine condi¬ 
tion the holidays have been spent very pleas¬ 
antly. Visiting has been quite general and 
there have been many happy family reunions. 
Business among the farmers has not been very 
brisk the past two weeks, as the depression 
in the prices of grain and hogs had a tendency 
is> “hiprnenb,; **»q look for a re¬ 
vival in business to set in again soon. In 
conversation with some planing-mill men 
yesterday I learn that they are expecting a 
large run of work the ensuing Spring and 
Summer in building. The past year has been 
a prosperous one in this respect, as there have 
been a great many new improvements made 
in both town and country. May the work of 
improvement and progress move on! The 
Rural New-Yorker has still paid its weekly 
visits regularly, and has always been a wel¬ 
come, entertaining and instructive visitor. 
Long may it live and prosper 1 w. B. d. 
Champaign, Champaign Co., Dec. 27.— The 
lest part of the Fall and the early part of the 
Winter season have been peculiarly like the 
former parts of the year 1882. Cold weather 
came and snow fell just before Thanksgiving, 
and there were four snow storms and three 
weeks of moderate Winter, the ground contin¬ 
ually oovered tbe meantime. It began to 
thaw about the 19th, then rained continually, 
but lightly for nearly three days, which took 
the snow completely oft" and left the wheat 
fields fresh and green, the meadows and pas¬ 
tures too, were not too closely cropped. Yes¬ 
terday was a delightfully sunshiny, quiet 
day, just freezing in the shade and not too 
much thawing in the sun. To-day is much 
the same. If to morrow (Christmas) is like 
either, we shall have all the agreeable fea¬ 
tures of a Florida Winter Christmas, plus 
20 degrees lower temperature. 
If the measure of the business activity, and 
I may add social excitement at Christ¬ 
mas, is also the measure of the general agri¬ 
cultural prosperity of the country,Champaign 
County, and indeed all Central Illinois, have 
nothing to complain of. Shops were never 
more crowded, nor holiday goods bought with 
more alacrity and without much regard to 
cost. Those who think expense, style and the 
disposition to buy cosily trifles are confined to 
long settled and wealthy neighborhoods might 
have their ideas corrected were they to see 
the equipages on the streets, the appearance 
of those who own them, and, above all, the 
goods they buy in shops almost as richly 
furnished as those of large cities; shops where 
negroes in blue and brass liveries, white- 
vested and white gloved, open and shut the 
doors for customers who throng in and out. 
In referring to the crops, after stating the 
results of a prosperous agriculture there i3 
no denying they have been good for the year, 
with the exception of Indian corn, which 
has been very much over-estimated. In¬ 
deed it is my belief the commercial and sec¬ 
tional estimates have been in excess of the 
reality fully 40 per cent. Wheat in the 
ground is looking well; that in stack and 
hay is badly damaged; the corn crop to the 
extent of half is still in the field, and though 
soft corn, of which there is a great lot, is sold 
to get rid of it, there is no disposition to part 
with the same articles at less than 50 cents 
for 70 pounds in the ear. B. K. J. 
Wisconsin. 
Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Co., Dec. 28.— 
Last Summer was quite cold hereabouts for 
corn, but frost held off until quite late, so 
corn ripened well. Weather very mild now; 
not much snow. Wheat worth 80c.; corn, 
40c.; oats, S5c.; barley, 35 to 65c.; potatoes, 
50c.; batter, 28c.; eggs, 25c.; pork, on foot, 
$5.60; dressed, $7; beef, on foot, 3>£c.; Timo¬ 
thy hay, $10 per ton. h. d. p. 
RURAL SEED REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Bervik, Ont., Jan. 4.—The Rural Corn 
made an immense growth; some of it got 
ripe enough to give it a trial next year. Of 
the Gem Squash four seedB grew, giving me 
over two bushels of squashes, which for table 
use could not be beat. I have qnite a number 
of hollyhocks, from which I expect a rich 
treat this coming year. a. c. 
lillnula. 
Aurora, Kane Co., Dec. 25.— Of the Rural 
Dent Corn about all the seeds came up; stalks 
very tall, one stalk measuring nearly 14 feet; 
ears large, but when in the milk the black • 
birds nearly destroyed the crop. I think I 
have enough to plant an acre in ’83. "We 
raised about five bushels of While Elephants 
this year. L c * D - 
(uwa. 
Hampton, Franklin Co., Dec. 26.—The 
Rural Wheat did not head out. I planted the 
Rural Corn June 1, but it did not get ripe. 
The Gem Squashes are truly gems. I planted 
them June 6 on sandy soil, well manured, and 
gathered 100 to put in the cellar for Winter, 
besides what we ate through the Summer. 
Have five hollyhock roots. Many people say 
the Rural is too much of an Eastern paper 
for the West; but 1 think we would be better 
off if we would farm more as the Eastern 
farmers do. The letters of W. F. Brown and 
F. D. Curtis have more than paid me the 
price of the Rural. o. e. d. 
Kansas. 
Cor>Kv , - ,, i‘’*/ Wood&OH f-o< U0,—The 
Rural Flint Corn and Blount’s Prolific I 
planted side by side with a mixed variety of 
white dent corn that I had grown here for a 
few years. The soil is what we call “ red 
limestone third year from breaking, man 
ured with stable manure at the rate of about 
15 ordinary loads to the acre; planted about 
the middle of April, in hills three feet eight 
inches apart each way, two grains in a hill; 
cultivated twice one way and hoed once. 
Yield as follows: Rural Flint at the .rate of 
55 1-5 bushels per acre; Blount’s 50 bushels; 
common white, bushels. I should think 
as many as 50 of the Fliut ears would measure 
between 13 and 15 inches iu length. The corn 
worm injured the ears of the Flint more than 
the others. Blount’s averaged about two-and- 
one-half ears to the stalk, small and eight- 
rowed, about the size of tbe cobs of the white 
corn. Deep-grained 16 to 30-rowed dent 
varieties are the most profitable for this sec¬ 
tion. I planted, about tbe same time, some 
Branching Sorghum, which did well, matur¬ 
ing seed about October 20; don’t think it of 
much account here, corn and corn fodder, 
millet and Hungarian Grass being the most 
profitable. Of the hollyhocks three seeds 
grew. The Gem Squashes started out nicely, 
but finally succumbed to hosts of bugs, 
beetles, flies, etc. E. c. 
Missouri. 
Greene Co., Mo., Jan. 3.—Planted the Rural 
Dent on ground manured heavily with barn¬ 
yard litter, on April 1st. Owing to chinch 
bugs only got five perfect ears. Planted 
Rural Flint April 3d, on ground prepared in 
the same manuer. There were 169 grains, 
nearly every one of which grew. It tillered 
profusely, producing from three to ten stalks 
to the kerneL I planted it one foot apart. 
When ia roastiDg ear it resembled a hedge 
row and was a perfect curiosity. It is a su¬ 
perior foddering plant. Tbe most perfectear 
was 15)^ inches long, and contained 66 ker¬ 
nels to the row, the kernels being nearly 
three-quarters of an inch broad. I had longer 
ears but they w*ere not well filled. I have 
twenty pounds of shelled corn selected from 
best ears for seed. I wouldn't take $2 for the 
corn. Cut worms got the Limas. Have seven 
hollyhocks. Gave the celery and squash 
seeds to friends. Celery reported very* fine. 
Haven’t heard from the squash seeds, h.e.b. 
New York. 
Taylorsville, Cortland Co., Jan. 8.—My 
Beauties of Hebron have proved very nice 
The White Elephants are splendid. From 
the one Bent me I raised 84 pounds, gave away 
22, planted the balance, and dug from them 
13 bushels of very nice potatoes. The Rural 
Flint Corn grew large, with very' long ears, 
but was only just glazed when tbe firBt frost 
came. I paved the best. Have tried some of 
it and found that it will grow, so 1 intend to 
plant it again this year. It was a poor corn 
year here. M. c. w. 
New Jersey. 
Stephensburgh, Morris Co., Jan. 2.—The 
Rural Heavy Dent Corn being too late a 
variety for this latitude did not ripen. The 
celeiy seed did not germinate. Tbe holly¬ 
hock seed I forgot to plant. Will they ger¬ 
minate if planted next Springf [Some will. 
—Eds.] The squashes grew nicely until dry 
weather came on, and it killed most of them, 
so that I got only one nice squash. The 
wheats planted this Fall look nice. J. w. 
Vermont. 
Greensboro Bend, Orleans Co.—From the 
very small original White Elephant Potato, 
which had 14 bright eyeB which were planted 
one in a place, I obtained one pock of tubers 
which were planted last Spring and yielded 
17 bushels of the largest potatoes I ever saw. 
The smallest hill in the plot had only one 
stalk, but there were eight potatoes w eighing 
six-and-one-half pounds. They are about as 
good as the Beauty of Hebron, which is good 
enough for G. c. C. 
(Tl)c (Querist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention.] 
ABOUT THE CENSUS OK 1880. 
II. T. McN., Jackson, Mich .—Under how 
many and what headings will tbe results of the 
Census of 1880 be published t When will the 
volumes probably be issued ? What will be the 
size of the edition, and how will the works be 
distributed ? How can private citizens obtain 
the work f How cun the preliminary bulle¬ 
tins Issued from time to time by the Ceusus 
Bureau be obtained ? 
Ans.— These questions were referred for an¬ 
swer to Col. C. W. Seaton, who bus succeeded 
Gen. Walker as Superintendent of the Cen¬ 
sus; and Mr. G. W. lllehurds, Acting Super- 
intandeot, a number •>« 
