Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-05-12
TREES FOR SHADE AND FOR
TIMBER.


Horace Greeley never advocated a
wiser measure than that of planting
trees upon rocky and waste places. No
man knew the condition of the country
in regard to its forests and the consump-
ton of timber better than he. and he |
was induced by a spirit of philanthropy
to urge upon the people the necessity
of both preserving and propagating tim
Der. The estimates lately made in re-
gard to the amount of timber that is an
nually being cut are startling, and show
that at the present rate of consumption
and diminution, few years will render
the country comparatively treeless. A
recent estimate is as follows: 100000
900 railroad ties are in use in the United
States. 1t took $50, 600 acres Of timbered
land to furnish this supply. 30,000,000
ties are used yearly Our railroads alone
= are stripping the timber from l 100000
acres year. When we undertake to
compute the vast amount used for fenc
ing, building, shipping, and other pur-
poses, we begin to get some idea of the
amount used. Those sections Of Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut that send to
Vermont and Northern New Hampshire,
though not one half Of either of those
states, are calling upon us yearly for
about 3OO,000,000 feet of lumber. This
with what we consume for fuel and 9TH
erwlse will take every tree within the
next fifteen years. unless ali effort is
made to preserve op to grow them to
supply this great loss We have need
ed in this vicinity, the avails of our lum-
Der, and for the last fifteen years the
slaughter of timber has been great. 1t
will be an unfortunate condition of af-
fairs when we in Northern Vermont are
obliged to send to Canada or elsewhere
for our lumber and it will be wise on
our part to provide early against such
an emergency. There are two ways to
prevent a want of timber One is to
preserve what we now have growing. and
the other to plant and set ont trees to
take the places of those used for fuel or
for timber. Experienced lumbermen say
that if care is taken in telling timber,
all the good saw-timber can be taken
from land and again in fifteen years
another crop nearly as good can be cut.
This is where the smaller trees are left
to grow and fire is not allowed to run.
A growth of timber that will yield q
large crop of wood will come up in ff-
teen years where it has all been taken
of. 1t VIII grow from the seeds or the
small trees left upon the ground. But
there are other useful purposes which
timbered lands and growing trees serve,
aside from the timber and the fuel which
they furnish. If woodland is situated
above the tillage, it protects it from the
wind, and is constantly sending down
fertilizing material upon the pastures
and meadows below. Maple trees
planted upon the rocky and rough places
in pastures will soon afford shade for
animals and in few years will become
useful for sugar-making Maple trees
that the writer helped set out fifteen
years'ago are now large enough to be
tapped. There is nothing that we know
of that so improves the appearance of a
village as shade trees, and their cost is
triAing. If the men and boys in any
village will give one day in a year tc
this purpose they can set out and pro
tect trees enough to make it beautiful
The fall is said by some to be the best
time III the year to set out as we'll as tc
plant trees, but this is a good time and
proper care in taking up and setting ou
will insure success any time in the two
weeks to come. Select the most hardy
trees of their kind, those that have
grown in the most windy and exposed
places. If maple or elm (these are thu
most suitable for shade) take those tina
are from one and one-half to two anC
one-half inches in diameter three fee
from the ground, cut around the root
and take up as much of the dirt as vii
conveniently cling to them. trim off tn
long and large limbs, and cut the to-
off so that the stalk will be from ten t
sixteen feet long Leave few smallisl
limbs In the body, but not within eight
cen inches of the top. as this decays an,
the branches split off if the decayed par
extends down to them. Dig a hole Q
sufficient depth and size so that tn
roots will not be cramped, crowd tn
dirt around them solid. turn a pail q
water upon it, and unless the summer
exceedingly dry the tree will live. Ey
ergreens, which ought to be planted fo
their cheering looks in winter, shout
be taken up and set out with more care
Trim them from the bottom taking O
the lowest branches, but do not cut O
the tops v ater them often if the sun
mcr is dry and they can be made to livs
The best way is to take them up in tn
fall, when the ground is slightly frozel
so that the dirt will not be disturbe
about the fine roots. Fruit trees a
though not the prettiest for shade. ad