The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-11-25
Tree Planting-An important and lntecest
ing Letter on this Subject from
Hon. L. B. Hodges.
ST. PAUL. Nov. Is, 1875.

hon. L. b. Hodges.
ST. PAUL. Nov. Is, 1875.
A. MuRDocK, ESQ.,, Painesrille, Ohio.
DEAR SIR: Acknowledging the re-
ceipt OF yours of Oct. sd, 1 find therein
the following interrogations, which l
will enumerate and answer, on the sup
position that the questions and answers
apply to Minnesota:
"What kind Of trees would you advise
me to plan,?''
Cottonwood, white willow. white ash,
black ash, white elm, red elm, butternut,
black walnut. soft maple, box elder,
bass wood, hickory, oak, sugar maple,
European larch, tamarac. white pine,
Scotch pine, Austrian pine. spruce,
lombardy poplar. OF the above twenty.
one varieties, / should select for first
Sc sons planting a large proportion OF
cottonwood. white willow, ash, lombar-
dy and elm. Not so much tor their in
trinsic value, but on account o! the
cheapness and absolute certainty OF sat-
is actory results in 4 surprisingly short
time. For wind-breaks aud live hedge
or fencing, the white willow and cotton
wood are valuable on our great prairies.
The lombardy, although the most worth
less OF any in the list, is, on account Of
cheapness of propagation, rapity Of
growth and efficiency as wInd-break,
well worth cultivating. Ali these last
mentioned are propagai"d from cuttings.
We propagate the ash FROM the seed.
We find by actual test that we can and
do raise all these varieties and carry
them to y condition when we can leave
them without further cultivation at an
&C ual cost Of less tn n halt a cent each.
With ground properly prepared. we
find two seasons thorough cultivation
will answer on new ground, but three
years are better.
Where can the young trees be pro-
cureds"
Everything in my list can be procured
in MINES. ia.
"What do they cost per hundredp"s
We figure on trees and cuttings by the
thounsand. You can buy ash, elm, soft
maple, box elder, lombardy, cottonwood,
&c.. from % to S. per thousand for
Seeding and two-year-olds, Just right
Tor transplanting.
European Iarch, pine. spruce, &C..
for from ~ II tl5 per Thousand.
White willow, Iombardy and cotton
wood cuttings from 81 50 to q 50 per
thousand, as % size.
To encourage forest tree culture this
company Ust Div. st. Paul & Pacific
Railroad furnish to actual settlers on
lands tributary to their lines, az above,
delivered at the station most convenient
to the settler, free of transportation.
what care and expense will be me-
cessary-will they not be in danger from
fires and from cattle?"
The same care and expense you would
give . corn6eld, only that one seasons
cultivation perfects corn, while from two
tn five seasons OF cultivation are ncces-
sary to give crop of trees such send.
of as to enable them to s.hoe their ow:
row." As to expense, that depends
wholly on the management. You can
raise your trees at an expense of two to
Eve cents each I; or you can just as easily
verify the assertion of the New York
tribune, and make them cost one dollar
each. As to damage from fires and from
cattle: The practice OF this company is
to pillow and burc around each patch of
trees in the tall before the prairie fires
commence running. We find no trouble
in protecting them from fire at very
trifing cost
As to damage from cattle-when cat
tie are permitted to run at large We
fence against them lam happy to be
ale to say. however, that many Of the
counties Of Wesern Minnesota have
adopted the herd law and consequently
no fences are required for the projection
Of trees or other crops. advise emf
grants to give these counties . prefer
encs q making choice Of neW homes.
The cost q lencing z the henYieGf n0