New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1864-11-11
THE GROWTH OF FOR EsTS.WOOI
FOR PRAlRIEN.

|
THE GROWTH OF FOR REsTs-WOOI
FOR PRAlRIES.
! NY DEAR SlR-We were speaking
the other day, at our casual meeting
in the cars from Albany to Sprin gfeld
of the termination of seed and Of their
| preservation in the form for future use
with reference to trees and to forest
growth. What l said on the subject
| applies I believe to all seed fror
the minuteest plant to the largest
to the oak ana to the 6reweed equally
We know how difficult it is to preserve
the terminating power Of seed if ex-
posed to the atmosphere for any length
of time, but if it can throw out radi-
Gle embedded in the soil, it will remain
there inert, but living thing, until
air, light, heat and other conditions
for its full development are applied.
If you viii 60 into forest of pines,
for example, upon a careful scout you
will find in their shade plants, such as
the oak, the beech, the walnut, or the
birch, with leaf or two only, vegeta-
ting. but not growing. You may mark
them and watch them for years, and
you will see them putting forth annu-
ally two or three Puny leaves, but nev-
cr increasing. Cut away the pines Or
other overshadowing trees, give them
the lie producing action Of sun and
air, and they at once commence to
grow and supply the place of those
which were an incubus to them per
haps for century. b.. .# +"
1t is in this way that when a forest
is cut down it is succeeded by new
growth, differing from that which pre-
ceded it. Itis natures alteration of
crops. I'have marked many hundred
young plants, extending over period
Of twenty years, the oak especially.
Those that were shaded by an older
growth arc two or three leafed now,
as when first marked; others that have
been opened to the light and heat by
the removal Of the older trees have
grown up as vigorous as from nur-
sery bed.
There is practical lesson or two to
be learned from this viz: The power
of changing a forest and producing =
better class of trees than those Of which
it consists. There is also another use
full lesson to be learned from it, and
which applies with great force to our,
prairles, such as are to be found in the
great garden of the world, Iowa.
In travelling over that magnificent
country this autumn, many parts of
which are denuded of trees, at least to
the common eye, I found large tracts
on which there were scattered the burr
oak, or what l take to be more proper
ly called the messy or over-cup oak, re-
sembling in many respects our white
oak, These oaks have been tllese for
many years-,I may safely say centu-
ries. They remain shrubs from sim
liar principle, though different cause,
like the oyershadowing trees of the
forest, namely, the fires which have
run over the prairles. They keep
them down as effectually as shade
from time immemorial. Ifby plowing
or cultivating outside these natural
plantations for o sufficient width, fires
can be kept from destroying their
growth for very few years, the finest
forests in the world would spring up
without planting single tree.
Samples, accidental in their nature
abound 10 prove the truth Of this asser
ton, and in my annual excursion
across the magnificent prairies from Des
NIoiues River to Missouri, Ihave discov-