The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-04-02
Tree Planting.--A New Law.

The Common Councils of some of our wss-
tern cities, are compelling the planting of
shade trees on residence streets, by ordinance
rms is wise regulation, not simply as orna-
mental, but contributing to comfort and con-
venience. This city is perhaps as well provi
ded with shade trees, as any other of equal
size in the west, but still, there are several
streets yet unsupplied, which ought not % be
the present spring. Nothing enhances the at
fractions of a town more than a goodly num-
Der of shade trees on the streets appropriated
to private residences.
A law was passed at the last session of the
Legislature in this State, ''to encourage the
planting and growth of trees" The first
section provides that =
every land owner or possessor of i've
acres Of land or more, who shall reserve from
the natural growth, or shall successfully
grow BY planting not to exceed one.fifth part
thereof in forest trees, in the form of tree
belts, as hereinafter described, shall be enti-
tied to have the land on which such trees
grow, exempted from taxation from the time
the said trees commence to grow, if planted
by the owner, until the trees shall reach the
height of twelve feet. Whenever the trees
shall have attained the height of twelve feet,
he shall be entitled to receive an annual boun-
ty of two dollars per acre for each acre SO
planted"
The other sections of the law relate to the
regulations to be observed in the planting of
the trees This is a wise law, calculated not
only to result in the benefit of the few, but
to the ultimate advantage of the State in gen.
eral The reasons which urge in favor Of
measures of this kind, have been discussed
and recommended by the wisest men in our
country.
The State Agricultural Society of Iowa,
have presented the matter of encouraging the
growing of trees to the Legislature of that
State, as one of the great economies of the
people. The Agricultural Committee, among
other things in their report to the Legislature
say
''Chief among the wants of the State are
artificial groves of timber, and careful hus-
banding of our natural forests. The iocks
and he rds need groves for protection the
orchards and fields demand belts of trees to
increase their fertility the vigorous winters
enforce the necessity of forests to modify
for groves to give them salubrity-nay, more,
to render them inhabitable; every branch of
industry sends up its petition for trees"
The reasons which urge in favor Of the
growing of trees, are of the highest impor-
lance. AS soon as our western prairies shall
have been brought under cultivation their
liability to drought will be greatly increased
The disappearance of the rank vegetation
which originally covered the prairies, will
partake of the influence of the clearing away
of the forests in he timbered regions of the
eastern and middle states. Streams which
were once sufficient for the driving of m ills
in the State of New York, are now become
useless for the purposes of water power,
since the clearing away of the forests through
which they flow. The theory of the influence
of forest trees upon the atmosphere is nothing
new; but it is only recently that public at
tention has been earnestly called to it in the
west, and movements contemplated to guard
against the consequences of treeless tracts of
country, brought under cultivation. A wri-
ter in the New York Egening Post, states the
following:
'fThe influence of forests on the climate of
the country is now an admitted fact. 1t is
so universally believed In France, that the
people have petitioned the government to en-
gage in the work of planting trees all over
the country, in the hope of retaining from
5arrenness the land which has become des-
ert by the lack of rain. 1t is thought that
the Emperor viii accede to the request and
add another to the list of public improve
ments during his reign