The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-25
Tree Planting in 1Iinnesota. !:

There is little doubt that the subject
Of tree-planting has excited a general in
terest throughout almost every section Of
the State particularly in those re.
gions where timber. of all the lavish gifts
Of nature. is alone wanting. Now that the
practicability Of the heretofore unsolvcd
problem of tree planting upon the bleak
Prairies has been fully demonstrated by
the energy and enterprise of the St. Paul
q Pacific Railroad Company, (Main
Line) the people, not only along the line
OIL that road, but elsewhere, have awaken
ca from their long lethargy, and are be-
STIRRING themselves to accomplish by in
dlv'dual exertion, what they are aware
mas been most successfully done by cor
porate enterprise. AS consequence, in
many sections, each and every land owner
IN the treeless regions. has gone
into the business on his own hook.
The general interest thus excited viii
certainty be productive of immense bene.
brief period.
L. b: Hodges, the energetic Superinten-
dent OF the Observation-Disclosures of the
st. Paul & Pacific Company gentle
man who is emphatically the parent Of
the system in this State, and has accom-.
lished more than any other man in de-.
monstrating its entire practicability-sav
him as to the amount of work done this
spring and elected the following facts :
The farmers, notwithstanding the unus-
sually cold spring, and other dispiriting
circumstances, incident to the general de.
preston of Buses, have taken hold of
the matter in dead earnest, and
in the regions along the main
line Of the St. Paul and Pacific
have set out not less than 100000 young
trees this season. Last year they hesita-
ted about planting one thousand cuttings
per man, but this spring many of them
became 'enthused'' and set out at least
5000 young trees each. A sort of a gen.
erous rivalry. sprang up amongst them
and they We'd with each other as to who
should be declared to be the champion
planter in the neighborhood. Hart Bar
ton, son Of Hon. Ara Barton, of North
field, Mr.. Hodges says, to his knowledge.
set out on Saturday, the first inst, 9,72O
cuttings. And so with many others who,
although planting less number, were no
less spirited and enthusiastic in their
work.
The company, on Arbor day. planted
100000 young cuttings, and during
the season which closed on the
18th inst, not less than 100000. Mr..
Hodges further ventures the opinion
that in twenty years the now treeless
prairies Of the State along the line of the
st. Paul and Pacific Road will be the best
timbered section of the State. Incredu.
lous as this may now appear, the predic-
ton is not at all improbable when We
take into consideration the present tenn
per of the people of the prairies on the
subject, the remarkable success which has
thus far attended all experiments, the
surprising rapidity and vi gor of growth
of the young trees, and last but not least,
the fact that the timbered section is being
daily but surely depleted to supply the
increasing demands from all parts of the
State and elsewhere. Taking all these
matters into consideration, the cenclu-
sion of Mr.. Hodges is far from improb.
able.