New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-22
FORESTS FOR THE PRAIRIES.
Meeting of the Association for the Promotion
of Science and Art.
Address of the Hon. c. C. Hutchinson of Kansas

The regular monthly meeting OF the Association
for the Promotion Of Science and Art held last evening
their rooms Cooper Institute. u o'clock John Ii. Girls
esq presided and in the absence Of the general Secrs
tary Mr. L. d. Gale Mr. John Disturne acted as Secretary
Owing the that the Hon. c. c. Hutchinson
Kansas woud read paper the interesting and important
question Of Practical Experiments in Planting Forest Fruit
and Ornamental Trees Prairie Government Lands the
attendance rather larger than usual After the trans
action of the usual routine business the Hon MI HUTCHINSON
being introduced by the President commenced The reading
| Of bis paper, which We give as follows
! Mr.. HUTCHIEsoN's ADDRESS.
Concerning the origin Of Western praes little can
be said and nothing positively known Remains OF forest
vegetation are rarely onnd beneath the surface but does
not follow that these plains exception 10 the seemingly
clothes with forest verdure all suitable surfaces whether
rocl Garth 1t impossible for the great
the hypothesis that dense forests have been swept
surface nv some and that annual fires have
prevented growth To comprehend the vasness Of
these the frect stretch vivid Imagination
Illinois IS called The Prairie state and at least nine tenths
treees while southern Wisconsin Southern
Minnesota Iowa North Missouri and Eastern Kansas and
Nebraska have less proportion of timber And how
much territory think you incuded in that
Why country larger that all New England and the Middle
measured off together Yet have but just opened
the door and stepped upon Threshold po
lions CT Republic North the British Possessions south
to the Gulf and state OF MEXICO and westward to the faehc
they stretch iHimiiabL Immediately before US, the
region called The PsH set down by old geographcrs as
the Great American Desert reaches 20 the Rocky Mountains
extending average distance Of 800 niles from east
to west and three times far from north to south region
mainly covered with grass yet absolutely without trees En
teIng the Businesses OF tho Rocky mountains one might sup
pose should upon extensive and valuable forests but
however valuable and important TO the settler there tim
Der here for shipment to the plains below One OF toe oldest
settlers and best informed citizens OF Colorado recently IN
formed me that Tue entire supply on TIMER ID va, o'Av NouiI
be exhausted by home demand within few years Many OF
the mountains are bare others covered win uned Growth
while good timber practically Inaccessible. Pressing
still westward the traveller pod Tor thousand miles
Sierra Nevada Mountains VIII not weary patience by
ealing the roll Of States being formed In regions
q that
scientific explorer whose name will be Western
synonym Of high hope aud noble daring John G. Fremont
MAY attend bis final efforts 20 build Pacific Rail.
road For The purposes Of this occasion It Is enough TO know
that the regions which aade nch they are IN every
species OF mineral wealth. embrace but small proportion OF
timber aud include treeless plains 30 large na heFeIsey
might be Strengthened oct fiat on one Of them and touch
mountains on neither side You viii therefore be prepared
90 with in making the startling declaration hich
n noT no. aa, more the sDA Uped STATE ,bop,e
without This simple statement b. Of itself calculated
10 awaken earnest socudc as 10 the future development Of
country but only when look further shall iu
bearing The local demand will exhaust the Of
States The statement already made OF Colorado
unquesonaby true Of all the mountain States II
valuable the timber will al least be DESTROYED
We have descended from those who spent life in stern
nct will the forests and have Inherited spite against
raj growth Of trees village be commenced In Western
stroyng every tree within limits But they feel the
need Of shade shade trees become the topic Of thought and
discussion public meetings are held newspaper articles pub
hed the matter ends IN the organization OF plant
ing association The course pursued by farmer and
cut down merely because they are trees lhe very
greatest Of settler timber 70 bud bis house
sheds for fuel. The of
iron stone brick aud coal Is very ihconderHOe IN the hs
years OF settlement These materials are costly aud IN
convenient taking his axe aud team The pioneer supplies
Kansas has lime and sandstone lodges IN abundance and
eheaPy accessible Yet Tue hfs settlers MADE niue Use o.
it. 10 illustrate We commenced the setlemen
OF Ottawa that and by the way the only village ~
oil the being cities two ago last month
Since that time LOO people nave settled 20 thc ige ana as
many commenced opening farms % the neghhOhOod
wood Settlers get their Improvements mGde
possible and this be- done quickest and count
.N.. la ffrlll. fIa
dcs,ruction in the forests is terrible had magnificent
walnui. oaks and haekbere from three % five
feet 10 diameter and sending trunks - feet high Alas
where they Two more VIII see the last oi these
monarohs vicinity Non are ready to cry shame at
such destruction but II destruction. God rolled out
prares for the abodes Of and ~ be nhnie good
mess Ts g'e We nave u,eS them 10 maze dwelling. fences
schoohouses ana churches and u We plant more tree
recital shows what Is being done all West The
liable timber entirely consumed IN the hrs ten wears settle
men Of any popuons county YET II s holeinl IA. snu
bearing ayoraby the subject Of tree growing that the loss
largely replaced Dy the growth Of few years sangamon
Of the oldest and richest counties 10 the stated lho
l. said 10 growing timber oda, than thirty years
ago This fact not be WresIed from It's place however
and used as an argument 10 prove inat We .lno os
let this timber question alone and y val In time iske
care itself The construction 81 canals aud railroads nae
made the pine Of Michigan accessIbr 20 UNI, pop nm
iure that most Of the fences snd all the bridges and
buildings that for ten past have been
made Of piue lumber Thus the Oh gr"Nes uespoa o. I'M.
pride 10y the tTst settlers are renewing tnsif CROWN 70 De PR
pared their all unconscious enemy when he shA nave
cleared away the pine lands the NORTH But full time
or U.s. this bay sketch OF the timber resources OF our
n
sources OF supply the pineres ere W. pune ~ %
great lakes to be swept from the earth tonight he pfA
States would in their career Of Improvement a. SUD
denly as did her Journey toward the mountains
will confuse you with an array OF hgrs Or hSufes
prove nothing unless studied and cOmpafedi but doubt
not hat Onchnl 81 al the fencing built si wear 10 the prairie
o. pine boards and nearly al The good aSslnss
part pine Stone have already said D. not generally
found except ia Kansas while 1t requires good leal Of moo
10 bum brick and and expensive distributing these
rices 10 remote forms The umtrr business OF Chicago
a. astonishing as her grain irsde Eastern
eltl
that OF Chicago The question DO" D. cohsueIhE Inc IN
mense dcmsnd how low long viii TIE supply asi lhrie has
been deal Of loose talk upon TINS subject but desiring
accurate Information called upon the Hon j Edmohds.
Commissioner Ol the General Land once at Washington.
Judge Edmonds enced lite amid the primitive forests Of
Western NewYort and removed ri ~ early DAY :" Miehgan
where he embarked largely IN the lumber business hei are
10 the Land Office 10 SHOW The amount 81 er IN
the country compared it'll prairie even upon public ands
fact Of itself sufficient to prove that our 1otcfhmen ar wei
people profoundly unconscious OF TIE mIfiahoeo
the timber question Commissioner Ldmhu' WIN
his broad comprehension 81 the matter ." IcInnI npo.e
ments anticipated he inquiry and D. now awaiting re-
turns biz uhordnnes which shn fully present the facts
IN the case derived much VARIABLE Information Iv uuge
Eduonds when hc snd permits me TO ure pom one point
he is quite confident 10 vii that there II more timber ~ he
State Of Michigan TT to be saved transported snu uu ~
construction nouses bridges and Fesset tldI ia an the
OF er States Rocky Mountains Think Of T. those
Of you Who lave suIl"teH iLui ue sul". IA TIst
yan aud the southern states was ineEhaastable lhhk
state and that largely settled ana cleared tners
is more mercLshae lumber tan ~ ali Inc other Siais east
back bone OF the continent Furthermore the best OF
peninsula that State, where on, acre WIN yied az mucn
wood timber the northern peninsula Judge IA
mords timber along TIE shores 81 the lakes on te
d and the bankt OF the streams there entering u
Of M inferior quality, the SOL peISg ID p'oes
thin sweep thousands OF acres ssylhg thr
tres ike rfass before the scyhe This burning oil forests
,n,,non anar The papers last week contained ausiou
~ tho esfruci ION y fir. Of some thousands of " timber
In Naive remember that the loss is repnrabe ~
would take centuries such trees AZ are no"
s,rJi.r Ia Michigan When cotton 10 burned TN an
actual loss and 10 the world Of the amount ~ ao
lar end cents which atce worth because viii be
tepaeed by the crop Of another but these burning
re, cannot he replaced IN centuries ana ~ th' 'huape
uses which civilization would aPps thai H"Oc. Is i'O
much retarded. .-.-,..,.t,. .,t.. .,
There ans m Minnesota forest, Of inca!cuaoe value 10
the State but the lumber said by dealers 10 De ue he
TO that of Michigan and Eastern Wisconsin, An3" ~ al