The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-08-07
'MSke Esatnt+
TREE PLANTING.
HOW TO PLANT TREEs, AND THE PROFITS
THAT MAY BE EXPECTED FROM
THE CROP

THAT MAY BE EXPECTED FROM
THE CROP.
General James S. Brisbin, of the
United States Army, sends letter to
the New York WORLD on tree planting,
which we publish entire for the benefit
of such of our readers as may take an
interest in arboriculture :"
The extensive reading given my letter
on Forest Saving" published in the
WORLD recently, encourages me to write
something on Forest Growing" 1t
is not so difficult as many people mag
inc to grow forest timber. The lack OF
correct information on this subject is,
I believe, to great extent the reason
why so little timber is planted. IT farm
ers only knew how to plant and when
and what to put out, many of them,
believe, would raise trees.
The ash is one of the very best trees
for forest culture. 1t grows rapidly, is
easily raised and of great money value.
Mr.. Holenbeck, of Nebraska, has, IN
Douglas county, piece of ash timber
he planted in 1861, and many of the
trees now measure SO inches in circum-
ference and are over 80 feet high. Mr.
Budd, of Iowa, has a grove that has
done still better He says ten acres,
thinned to six feet apart, contained 12,-
900 trees, and at twelve years of age
were eight inches in diameter and 80
feet high. The wood from thinning
paid all expenses of planting and culti-
waiting. The bodies of the trees cut
out sold for forty cents each, and the
TOPS were worth ten cents more. Ten
acres of this timber, twelve years old,
was estimated to be worth $4,000.
Young ash, if cut low at eight years of
age and light furrow turned over the
stumps, will sprout and be ready for a
second cutting in eight years. Mr.. Budd
saws ten acres of black ash planted for
hoop poles in rows four feet apart, may
be half trimmed in FIVE years, and at
three cents per pole will yield 81, 62G.
The remaining half or $4,000 poles,
cut two years later for large hoop poles
at six cents per pole, will yield $4,S60.
The ash seed should be sown in the fall
in rows two feet apart and covered with
one inch of earth. In Winter scatter
litter of straw three inches deep over
the ground. The straw should be re-
newed early in the Spring. The plants
will grow as soon as the frost is gone,
and be twelve to fourteen inches high
by Fall This will make an admirable
nursery, from which the trees should
be transplanted when one year old and
set out in the forest ground four feet
apart. Work the ground the same as
for corn and keep the weeds down.
The closer gthe trees are planted the
straighter they will grow and be free
from lower limbs.
THE WALNUT.
The walnut is q favorite tree and very
useful. 1t grows admirably in rocky
ground, and thrives best in land with
yellow subsoil To prepare the land,
furrow out as if for corn and drop the
walnut one in hill, four feet apart.
Cover lightly with hoe or plow The
seed should be planted soon after it falls
from the tree, and is best dropped with
the hull on. If this cannot be done,
bury the seed-but by no means allow
it to dry. Seed is also good dropped
in February and covered in the Spring.
The frost cracks the walnut she'll, and
the sprout will start out soon after be-
ing covered in April or May. Forty
acres of walnut timber will yield the
farmer in ten years more than if the
land is planted every season in grain.
The trees will grow the third year four
to five feet. The first and second years
the ground may be planted between the
rows with potatoes or corn, and will
not hurt the young trees, walnut strik-
ing deep root add drawing its susie
nance from the subsoil To make the
trees bear nuts early dig under and cut
the tap-root. Fruit trees that do not
bear may also BE made to bear by cut
ting their main or tap roots. Mr. Hol-
lenbeck has grove of forty acres of
walnut planted in 1865 and the trees
averge % inches in circumference and
are 25 feet high. Many of them bore
nuts four years after planting, and six
years from planting the trees had o
peck of nuts each. Three bushels of
walnuts with the bulls on will plant an
acre four feet apart, or one and three
quarter bushels hulled will plant the same
amount of land.
SUGAR MAPLE
Mr.. Pinney, an experienced tree grow
err, says an acre Of sugar naples at
twenty-five years of age will average
one foot in diameter and produce 1000
pounds Of sugar annually. When the
trees measure twenty inches they will
give $4,000 feet of lumber worth $4,000,
besides great deal of fuel. A pecu-
liarity of this tree is it's body increases
in size faster than the top 1t can
therefore be planted very closely. Two
hundred trees will grow on an acre.
Maple seed ripen in Octobepond should
be planted in rows the same as ash, but
not so thickly. After planting allow
the tree to stand two years in the nur-
sery and then transplant to ground
where it is to grow permanently.
SOFT MAPLE
The soft maple in its wild state, an
uncouth and scraggy tree, when grown
closely in a cultivated grove; is much
improved in appearance and a most
useful tree. l have seen numerous
patches well shaped, and eight and
ten feet high at three and four years of
age. In Nonoma county, Iowa, maple
trees seven years old from the seed were
large enough to make three ten foot
rails, and an acre yielded 5000 rails.
The timber is always in great demand
for manufacturing purposes 1t beats
the walnut three years in growth of
ten years. The seeds ripen in June, and
should be sown in mellow ground as
soon as they fall Plant one and ahalf
inches deep with drills, in rows twenty
inches apart. They will come up in
six DAYS. Keen the weeds out until