The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1863-06-06
agricultural Golnl'1lr,.
ESSAY ON TIMBER TREES.

ESSAY ON TIMBER TREES.
BY JONATHAN HIGGINS, WOODBURY., ILL.
4fk (Concluded.)
The Tulip tree is one of our tallest
trees, valuable for many purposes, but
thought, by many, to be impatient Of
removal, and hard to grow from the
seed.
The Black Walnut, and the Butternut
or White Walnut, are fast growers when
under cultivation; hardy; and if they
are ever troubled with insects / am not
aware Of it. They are easily grown
from the seed, which should be planted
in the fall where you wish them to grow,
as they are very sensitive of removal.
Both varieties are valuable for their
fruit and timber, and should be found
in every grove.
The Sugar Maple, or Hard Maple,
as some call it, attains a great height,
but is a slow grower as compared with
the Silver Leaf Maple. 1t is valuable
for fuel and many other purposes. The
seed drops in the fall, and should then
be planted, or carefully kept from dry
ing until spring.
The Red or Scarlet Maple, naturally
found in swamps, will thrive in any
SOILS fast grower, and, in favorable
soils, attains a height Of eighty to nine
ty feet. Propagated like the Silver
Maple.
The Silver Maple has been spoken of
as one of the finest trees on the Ameri-
can continent. 1t is the great grove tree
of the West, unless, as some suppose,
the claims of the White Willow are
superior to it. 1t is a rapid grower
and splendid tree. It has long been
desirable that some timber tree should
come into general cultivation, contain
ing the essential qualities of beauty and
rapidity of growth, and at the same
time be free from the ragged appear
ance Of the borer- eaten Locust. The
Silver Maple, thus far, answers the
purpose. It is valuable for fuel, and
yields fine, soft grained timber, use
full for many purposes. Its seeds drop
in this latitude about the first of May,
say from the first to the tenth, and
should be planted at once. Seed plant
ed in good ground and well cultivated,
will grow from one to four feet the first
season.
The Golden Willow is fast grower,
and should be planted in every prairie
grove. Easily propagated by cuttings.
The White Willow seems to claim a
large share Of attention at present, as
grove tree and for fences.
G. r. Overman, ex-President of the
Illinois Horticultural Society, writes of
it thus: "We have found in the White
Willow clean, healthy and beautiful
tree, perfectly hardy, and free. from
attacks Of insects. Grows towering,
straight grained, and enormously rapid;
splits as freely as the Chestnut. Rails
of it, above ground, last many years,
while as fuel timber its value cannot
be over-rated, as it makes the best
charcoal in the world. The amount of
fuel which single acre Of this timber
would yield in five or ten years, would
astonish any man. In ten years, an
acre of it will produce enough timber to
fence q quarter section Of land. 1t is
without doubt destined soon to become
the most popular grove tree in the
country"
This, like other willows, is easily
propagated by cuttings. I have now
few of them on my grounds fifteen to
eighteen feet high, two years from cut
tings.
In considering the subject of timber
trees, our evergreen timber trees should
not be forgotten. They should also "
planted in abundance for timber as we'll
as for ornament, and for windbreaks for
our homes.
The White Pine is a rapid grower,
and so is the Norway Spruce. Small
plants of both may be obtained of many
nurserymen very cheap.
The Red Cedar, as also the White
Cedar, is hardy and desirable for plant
ing in belts as barrier against the
sweeping winter blasts. They are both
easily obtained from their native grounds
the White from the swamps Of Michigan
and Wisconsin, and the Red Cedar from
Southern Illinois and Missouri. @
But / fear / have already wearied
your patience. and shall add but little
more.
TO some it may seem very foolish to
engage in the cultivation of timber trees