The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-04-18

PEoFlTs OF TREE CULTURE.
We are a!mo>t daily called upon to
answer questions about tree culture
bearing upon one or all Of the follow
ing points: l. What are the laws
relative to tree culture on the prairies !?
2. What are the methods Of tree cul-
ture? 5. What are the profits? We
propose now to give, in as brief space
as possible. the essential points i'll tile
laws, and also some information as to
methods, and some estimates as to
profits. 1t will be useful to have the
subject in nutshell, 80 that it may he
carried in = sile-pocket.
And, first, as to the laws. There are
three laws, one national and two State,
designed to encourage tree culture OH
the prairies. The following are the e.
sential features o. the laws:
TIE TREEL LAW.
l. The Amended Tree Law passed
by Congress last winter (and for which
the settlers on the prairie are chiefly i'll
dtbted to Mr.. Dunnell, member from
this District provides that amy person
entitled to the benefits of the homestead
act, who shall plant, protect and keep
in healthy growing condition for
eight years, forty acres of timber Oh
amy quarter section Of the public lands
Of the United States, shall be entitled
to Il patent or title for the whole of
said quarter section. The trees must
be- planted no more than twelve feet
apart each way. Only one qua. ter Sec
tion can be entered 10y one person, and
only one qla:tter or any one section.
The person making all entry Of amy
quarter section is required to break ten
acres the first year, ten the second and
twenty the third year, after the date of
entry. and to plant ten acres of timber
the second year, ten the third and twell-
~ tile fourth year after the date Ut ELL
try. III case entry is made upon d
less quantity thana quarter section, the
number Ut acres planted Shall be i'll pru-
portion to the quantity entered, that
is, ene-fo,rth Of the land is to be plant
I'd tutrteS. No patent Can issue until
the expiration OF eight years from the
date Of entry. The fee for making such
entry is liked Ivy the law at $40.
THE COUNTY BOUNTY.
:. The first state law to encourage
tree culture became i. law on the 6tI
day Of March, ASH. This law provides
That every person who shall plant, pro-
tect and cultivate one acre or more of
prairie land, with amy kind of forest
tree except the black locust, shall he
entitled to all annual bounty of two
dollars ltr each acre 50 planted, to be
l'aM from the treasury OF the county in
which the Trees are growing. The bay
nleht OF bounty DOES not begin until
three Years from the time Of planting,
and continues ten years. The trees
must Dt painted within live years from
the passage OF the act, or before March,
1876, to get the benefit OF the act
Inus, trees planted TINS and next Years
VIII he in time. A line Of trees along
amy public highway, the trees to be
planted not more than one rod apart,
viii count as one ..cre tor every hall
lnllt, 50 that Il line Ut trees along tie
ilol1t Of 1GU acres will secure al ;lllnu-
Ill bounty Of TWO dollars, after the trees
have been growing three years. This
law does mol lix the distance apart al
which trees snail be planted in groves,
cut only fixes tile maxim Ill distance
for the TONS along the highway.
THE STATE BOUNTY.
8. The second State law to encour-
aye tree planting WAS passed Feb. 2Uth,
1873. The provisions Of this law arr
identical with the one passed March,,
ISL. " It'll THESE differences, viz: that
under this l>w the bounty shall he paid
out OF lne State instead vi the county
treasury and tat not more than 2U,VUU
dollars shall be distributed in boun-
ties i'll amy one Year. Thus pro-
vision is ln..ue to pay Oh ten thousand
acres, or 25U tree claims each year. Ii
the aggregate bounty applied for in
amy one Year exce..ls S4U,VJO, then that
sum is To be equitably distributed
among those applying.
Under both these acts, the trees must
be planted before March, 1876, must be
planted, protected and cultivated three
years before ANY bounty can he drawn,
ami the person SO planting and cult
waiting may then draw the bounty for
ten years.
METHODS OF TREE CULTURE.
Now, as to methods OF culture
These are numerous. Tie trees may
he grown from seeds, cutting s, or young
trees. Evidently, the most economical
method, say On Il tree claim, would 1T
to break four burrows every twelve
feet and drop soft maple or other seed
This would give sufficient ground for
cultivation, save half the breaning, and
probably IT, better for the grovein the
end. But where persons wish to grow
Il crop or two Of corn betwee the trees,
of course this method cannot be follow
I'll The trees would 10 W: II if the seed
were dropped at the time Of the first
breaking, but would doubtless do bet