The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-05-10
HINTS TO FARMERs---No. l.
Forest and Fruit Trees.

years IN our young ana growing State,
and travelled over large portion of the
central, north, west and east, 1 feel that 1
may be able to give you a few hints on
the subject of farming aud 'rural life"
that may be of much benefit to you; es-
pecially you who have lately come into
our State, which I am happy 10 say is
fast filing up with enterprising and in
tslligent people.
A person travelling over our State can
not help noticing the small amount OF
forest compared 10 the vast extent Of
p rairie, and can easily see that within
few years at the rate it is now consumed
for fuel and fencing, that at no distant
day this most essen tial article will be 3
thing of the past, unless we do something
to rep lace what is consumed, with more.
There are two ways We can do this: the
easiest being simply to prevent the fire
from runniny into tie young timber, which
is now done annually, and destroying a
great amount of young timber; which.
if let to grow, would soon do for making
posts and rails for fencing.
have been informed by good authori-
ty that notwithstanding the constant con
sumption, the forests of Illinois have
doubled within the last 90 years, on &C
; count of the fires having been kept out,
and ave seen it tried enough in Kan
sas to know that there would be q
like result here, if the law was rigidly
enforced on firing prsiries; and there was
mere care taken to prevent them from
spreading.
In Northern Kansas a tract of about
40 acres was broke around, and the fire
WAS kept out three years, and the young
timbeI-which started from the roots the
first year-grew very rapidly, and would
have soon been of much value. The
grass which grew among them shaded
the roots, and decomposing, added
strength to the already rich soil. The
fourth year there came up fire, with a
high wind, and there beirg some weeds
on the breaking, it got into the grass
l saw place on the Neosho aud Cot
tonwood where the fire was kept out two
years and there were young hickoTies
large enough to make hoop poles of, and
oaks two inches through, which shows
what eVee ttCO years can do.
Though the young tree is killed. the
root still lives; and growing annually en-
large go as to make the "grub" which is
such q trouble to ''prairie breakers"
This "grub" sends out roots over a CON
siderable scope underneath, and draws q
nourishment from the ground which
causes the young shoot to grow with ra-
pidity. Another way to enlarge our forest
which will be more labor but will we'll re-
pay you, will be to plant seeds or trans
plant young trees. This can be done as
soon as the frost is out, and while you
are waiting for the ground to dry enough
put in the spring crop. The wa nuts and
hickory nuts should be buried in the au-
tumD; and when you plant drop nut in
every other row and every other hill, and
plant vegetables in the other rows and
hills and cultivate them well. Small veg
etables can be grown on the same ground
few years, so as to cause but little aOaSte
on account of trees. My father trans>
planted some young cOttonwoods and
planted some locust seeds in 1859. and
designed them as a shelter TO the orchard
from the west and north winds. Those
trees are now plenty large enough for
fencing, and he has used several in re-
pairing the fences; and if be had put in
ten acres instead Of one, (Which he deep
ly regrets) he would have all the timber
he wanted for fencing and fuel. But we
need not fence with wood, for there is no
place in the west that the Usage will grow
better, and have seen fences that a
rabbit could hardly pass through, and
there is no fence more beautiful; and these
fences were in Kansas. In Iowa l visited
place where the people depended almost
entirely on the trees grown On the farm
er's own place, aud were independent in
having plenty for fuel and fencing.
am pleased to see farmers plant out
fruit trees, but do not see near enough
as a general thing. Kansas is or will be
frun country and should be independ-
ent of Missouri or any other State, in this
line. There is no better fuel than peach
trees, and it would pay to set them out
for this alone, and by saving the seed
when you eat peach, instead Of throw
ing them away, you could soon get a
quantity and 10 a very few years have
plenty of fruit Another inducement to
plant trees is, the more the ground is
shaded by foliage the more moisture is
contained aud We are more certain of rain
in greater abundance than we would
have Otherwise t~
Good night, HARRIE WEST.