Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-10
THE PLANTING OF FOREST-TREES
ON THE GREAT WESTERN PLAINS.

From the New York Times.l
The bill before Congress to encourage the
planting of forest trees upon the Great Plains
Of the Far West, is one which deserves
prompt and favorable consideration. We
spoke Of the idea the other day as one of
those vast Western conceptions which with
all their magnitude, are yet of a sufficient
practical character 10 merit attention and
encouragement. Taking into account the
immense surfaces of our treeless plains-ta-
king into account the labor that most needs
be performed for the realization of the
scheme-taking into account the results that
would follow Its carrying out, even upon
limited scale, we would say at once that
nothing so large and important, of 4 materl-
al character, was ever undertaken on tins
continent For by its success, we would
nearly double the habitable and productive
surface Of the United States; we would create
means and possibilities of material wealth
compared with which the gold and silver
mines Of California and Colorado, Nevada
and Idaho are unworthy Of notice; and
would open up opportunities for the genera
tions that are to come after us greater even
than those cur ancestors won for Us.
The thing, too has been pronounced feast
| bic bv experienced scientific men who have
examined both the country and the scheme.
! That the Grand Plains at one period OF the
! globes history, bore trees, is theory widely
| accepted, and that the soil, or ut least the
! greater part of it on this side of the Rocky
| Mountains, is Capable of their growth, does
no admit Of a doubt.
| The bill which ,eiore Congress makes
provision for att ping the experiment
| unon a largs scale; and as it does not pro-
| pose TO take a dollar from the Treasury, but
! only to SET apart portion of the unoccupied
! public lands OF the Far West for the expert
ment, it can meet with no opposition on
| grounds Of public economy. The terms OF
| the bill, after making provision for the issu-
ance of the necessary land scrip, and the
furnishing of bonds with approved sureties
by the Ottawa Indian University, under
| whose supervision the experiments are to be
! conducted, provides that within five years
| thorough experiments shall be made in the
! growth ofindigenous and exotic trees on the
| Western Plains, and that to this end ten
thousand acres of prairie land shall by plough
ed and cultivated, and planted with different
| vrrieties of forest trees-the trees to be plan
ted in various locations in regions otherwise
destitute of timber. 1t is further provided
that the whole amount so planted shall not
| be less than torty million Of trccS-the trees to
be distributed equally throughout the extent
Of the ten thousand acres so planted. The
terms of the bill throughout are sufficiently
| pointed and comprehensive, and the measure
ps a whole, is as deserving Of Congressional
approval as it is pregnant with public IN
| terest.
The House Committee on Public Lands
| under the lead of their Chairman, Hon. c..
| w. Julian, have given this important sub
. | fThn,r how enl1ult n
| secure all the information possible, both
from the Agricultural Bureau and the Com
missioner of Indian Affairs rs well as from
other sources. Judge Edmonds, Commits
sioner of the General Land Office, has Just
made long and exhaustive report to the
Committee on the subject. lie gives deci-
ded opinion that forest trees can be success
fully grown upon the Western plains and
pateaus, and that thus only can they be
rendered habitable-the trees fertilizing and
moistening the soil, soitening and modifying
the climate, and protecting crops and AMI
mails from the desolating winds of those re
gions. lie is not prepared TO recommend
| any general scheme to effect this purpose,
but suggests that grants of public land may
be made for the purpose of demonstrating its
possibility and feasibility. "Such an eXpe-
riment." he saws, would stimulate idivid-
ual enterprise in that direction, which, after
all, is the only reliable and sufficient power
for so great work, and it would furnish
facts which would aid in the development OF
some general system
We conclude by reiterating the great in
terest which this very important matter
has awakened throughout the country, East
and West, as it has been discussed, and by
repeating the hope that Congress will give
the bill proper recognition and prompt APP
proval. The thing ought TO be tested, and
we know no better mode or opportunity than
Is prcspntcd by this hill