The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-03-12
Tree.Planting.

The treeless country is generally des-
Olate country. The great prairies of the
West may seem to form an exception +;
but they were deemed, for a long time, to
be uninhabitable, and were accounted of
little worth until the construction of
railroads brought them so far into com.
munication with the rest of the world
that lumber could reach them at q mod
crate cost of transportation.
Our people have gone on cutting and
destroying as if they believed our forests
to be practically inexhaustible. But the
denuded lands begin to suggest that the
time may come, and that at no distant
day, when the supply will be exhausted.
1t is true that the process of growth will
replace our forests; but the destruction
goes on much more rapidly than the re-
covery. Nature, with her slow processes,
cannot compete with the axes of the lum-
bermen who swarm into our forests, in
tent upon the mere money making of the
present, either thoughtless of the future
or entirely willing to let it take care OF
itself.
The destruction of the forests of the
country has important climatic and other
influences which ought to be taken into
consideration. The rainfall. and conse-
quently the fertility of any section, is
materially affected by the absence or
presence of forests; SO that in the matter
of pecuniary interest it is not wise to de-
stroy our forests with such undue haste.
The Legislature of this State has re.
garded the question of timber supply OF
sufficient importance to take action upon
it. A bill has just been passed, ana re-
ceived the signature of the Governor, for
the encouragement of the planting and
cultivation Of forest trees for timber. 1t
would seem that self-interest should move
our agricultural population to this, with
out the incentive of premiums; but men
have never shown themselves over anxious
to plant for posterity's reaping, and SO
this law, with its premiums, comes in as
an incentive to work in this direction, by
Offering bounty of ten dollars to every
person who will plant and cultivate for
three years an acre or more OF for
est trees. This inducement, under the
law, is but an inconsiderable one,
and were it not for the fact that
timber growing, through quite long Sc
ries of years, to be sure, is more profita-
BILE than raising, it would not proba-
bly, secure the desired result. But it is to
be hoped that our farmers win be led to
forests, which are so rapidly melting
away before the assaults of the woodmen,
and enter upon this cultivation, which
cannot fail to prove public benefit, but,
in time, Q profitable investment, a.
the value Of timber must increase
with its scarcity. We have seen state
ments made by those who entered upon
this culturey years ago, that the result has
been profitable even in the lifetime of the
planter. And 80 it will be with every
one who sows his seed or sets his trees
before he is too far advanced in life. A
little patience and an ignoring of that
feature of the age which prompts men to
haste to be rich is all that is wanting.
We hope the people of Illinois will re.
spond largely to the enlightened action OF
their Legislators. Ohicago Standard.