Smyrna times., 1875-08-04
The Profits of Tree Planting.

CANT and wanton destruction OF forests In
this country. The New York World has
letter from Gen. James s. Brisbin, in which
the planting of trees, heretofore recomen-
ded, to supply those which have been
destroyed is strongly enforced. In two or
three States the planting of trees is fast
becoming an established branch of farming |
industry. 1t is obviously as important to
plant trees wherever there is a lack of |
them as it is to plant any other crop. The |
kinds of trees best suited for shade in the |
yards and pastures of private farms and |
along the public highways, the time of
growth, and directions for planting them |
are subjects of discussion in Gen. Brisbin's |
interesting letter. As an illustration of the |
money value of crop of small trees, Gen.
of black ash planted for hoop-poles. Such
a field may be thinned at five years from
planting, the poles gathered at the first
cutting being worth Sl,620. Two years
later the rest of the young trees may be
cut and sold for 81 $50. The total yield of
the ten acres thus planted would therefore be
$3.50, which is at the rate of $925.I0 year
for the ten acres, or $3.50 a year per acre.
Land planted in walnut timber-wereof, by
the way, the available supplies for cabinet
work, ETC., are perceptibly growing scarcer
he says, will in ten years yield more than
If the land had been planted each year in
grain; and, moreover, a crop of corn or
potatoes may be planted between the rows
the first and second years without injury to
the young trees, as the walnut strikes a
deep root and draws its substance from the
subsoil. In addition to these advantages
the trees at three years from planting will
bear about a peck of nuts each, and there
are certainly few more delicious nuts than
the fruit of the black walnut tree. An acre
of sugar naples at twenty-five years of age
will average one foot in diameter and pro-
duce 1000 pounds of sugar annually.
When the trees measure twenty inches
they will give 10000 feet of lumber, worth
$500, besides great deal of fuel. Two
hundred trees will grow on an acre. A lot
of chestnut trees planted in Mount Pleas
ant, Iowa, eleven years ago, is now making
better return than the same number of
acres in orchard. The hickory is valuable
on account of its nut-bearing qualities and
Its wood. The shellbark is the best for
planting. either for wood or fruit The oak
is the most valuable of all trees, and can be
readily raised from the seed, which should
be gathered in the fall after the acOrns
drop. The best month to gather the seed
is October, and it should be planted at
once, or kept in cool, moist condition
until spring. The cottonwood is spoken of
by Gen. Brisbin as a wonderful tree, which
commends itself to all Western beginners
on account of its rapid growth and easy
culture. 1t will grow almost anywhere,
and seems to be undying. If one is cut
down another springs up from the stump.
Gen. Brisbin says he has often wondered
why this tree, so tenacious of life and easily
grown, has not been planted in the East
He expresses the opinion that it would
grow in almost any of the Eastern States,
and as shade tree for cattle is unsurpassed
The young cuttings are readily obtained
from Western nurserymen and cost but a
trihe. The cottonwood furnishes better
shelter and fuel in a shorter time than any
other tree in America. Several acres o.
these have been known to grow seven feet
in one year from the cuttings. A thousand
of these trees can be grown on an acre
The paragraph which Gen. Brisbin devote.
TO the soft maple should be of especia
value TO the owners of farm lands which
have been stripped of their timber. H,
says this tree is much improved by cultiva
ton. and at seven years from planting will
yield three ten-foot rails, while an acre o
soft maple trees at the end of the sam
period will yield 1900 rails. The lette
also contains much other information upol
tree planting of invaluable practical interes
to farmers. In many portions of tn
United States people are beginning to fee
the want of trees which have been reckless
ly destroyed. In some sections good LAM
has been thrown out Of cultivation for tn
reason that there is no timber adiacen
whence to get supplies of fuel and fencing
Kate Field has this to say about tia
women you meet in the cars: "There i
the woman who drives you mad by neve
being discOmposed in either manner 0
dress. Her hair is as smooth as thougI
it had been ironed; her face is a- clean i
though cinders and dust were an unknown
quantity; her boots and gloves are new
they fit 50 perfectly that you arr qut" ~,
her feet and hands were poured INTO tucIl
She IS not without wisdom in being be
ehaWsee and Jiea gantee. When people hav
nothing to do or to think about, they ar
reduced to extremities. But when this in
maeulately-attired woman emerges fror
her section, after sleepless nights journe,
as calmly unrumpled as ON her first appea
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