The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-01-27

to devote the life he had saved to making
him happy as long as he lived. So, when
they stand before the altar in few weeks,
he will doubtless bless the storm that
proved such a source of joy to him.
NashosWe (I'enn.) american.
Trees for Home Use.
What trees shall we plant the coming
spring? is a question pressing upon the
minds of thousands of men who have late
ly settled on the productive and beautiful
prairie lands Of the great West. That
there is in many parts Of the Northwest q
lack of timber no sane man can deny.
Millions of acres would remain a barren
waste were it not for the untold richness
and productiveness of the sell. Timber
is the one great thing needful, and almost
the only thing lacking to make the great
Northwest an earthly paradise. Every
settler admits this fact: that we must
grow moro timber or suffer in thousand
ways for our negligence. Now comes the
all. important question: What can we do
would say, what man has done two men
can do, and thousands, too, can 20 and do
likewise. Three miles east of st. Ansger,
in this State, and three miles out on the
black prairie soil stand most delightful
groves of walnut and bu!ternut trees.
They were set out seventeen years ago,
fifteen feet apart each way, the grourd be-
ing thoroughly cultivated both before and
after setting them out. They were set out
when one year old. The bodies now are
not more than four and five feet high,
while they are about ten inches in dame
ter. The trees have branched out very
thick and low, and already they nearly
cover the ground. No family owning this
beautiful home would accept 81 600 for
these trees and have them removed. I
have planted the nuts both in spring and
in the fall with equal success. The nuts
should not lie dried, heated, or water
soaked, but kept little damp and planted
early in the spring, not more than three or
four feet apart if wanted for timber. There
need be no fear that they will not flourish
when planted close together. If they
have deep, loose soil and are pro-
tected from the bleak winds and cult
waited two or three years thoroughly as
corn would be, their rapid growth will
be assured.
The first settlers here mostly neglected
growing timber. We have few groves
(mostly cottOnwood) that are sixteen and
seventeen years old, which are much
thicker than hills Of covn and fifty or sixty
feet high. Ten acres of these groves at
ten years of age will supply farm with
all the material for fencing and fuel. We
have one cottonwood here, seventeen years
old, that is twenty-one inches in diameter.
Thousands of men now are paying 500
per acre for timber, besides drawing it ten
and fifteen miles, who could have had by
this time all needful timber within few
rods of their doors, which would not only
have proved source of great wealth and
convenience but secured to themselves
and stock protection from the winter
storms. The best grove we have, mostly
cottonwood, set sixteen years ago, fur.
nishes now an abundance of poles forty
feet long. All prairie settlers could have
done as we'll, with q little well directed
energy in the start. The gray willow was
set out here some twelve years ago and
has proved successful, making q good
fence when properly cared for, and pro-
ducing an abundance of poles to fence
with, as we'll as wood for fuel. They
have grown nearly equal to the cotton
woods. The third tree in value
here for common prairie planting
is the Lombardy poplar. 1t is not
only very useful but ornamental. I have
seen long rows Of these trees, forty feet
high, growing in straight lines
along our roadsides, each tree standing
erect in Its place like an arrow pointing
skyward. In autumn, when all other
trees have lost their rich foliage by frost,
the poplar remains green and beau
tiful, seemingly smiling on as though
nothing serious had happened. wish
to mention that this is the only tree that l
know OF which, when set out singly, will
not branch out and form q low, bushy
head, unless trimmed from time to time.
This tree has its own peculiar style, and,
unless set very thick, will send out small,
whip-like branches, very regular and true
all the way up; but it will never have
branches Of any size growing up true and
remarkably fast. Although the black
walnut will not succeed if neglected, l
wondered often why this tree is not cult
waited, both for its rich nuts and its valua-
BILE timber. know of no tree that will
give up the contest for superiority in
growth so easy and surely rs the black
walnut, but at the same time know of
no tree that will outstrip it when every.
thing is in its favor. I have tree grow
ing on river fiat from the stump seven
teen years, which is now sixteen inches
in diameter few inches from the ground.
1t has borne nuts for ten years.
have another one that grew the
second year from the nut six feet
and six inches, and this one
came up among the other young timber
without any cultivation. / have one over
eighty feet high, and not two feet through
al the ground. I wish to say to such Is
have favorable soil aud location for wal
nuts, put them in, pillow thoroughly and
very deep, cultivate we'll the first two or
three years, and within seven or eight
years you will have the satisfaction OF
seeing trees laden with rich nuts and rap
idly forming valuable timber for posts and
costly furniture; but for fuel there is
many kinds of timber much more desira-
BILE. have planted over twenty-five
bushels of walnuts. Some have grown
very we'll, while others have grown re-
markedly slow. Butternuts have often
planted with success, and removed trees
quite large with scarcely failure. ]
never have succeeded In removing the
walnut, unless very small. Ionce set an
evergreen hedge just under the limbs Of Z
walnut tree, and the three trees that were
Just under the drippings Of the walnut
perished, while all the others grew finely.
1 have tried to get apple trees to grow
near them, but have always failed. From
these observations have beea led to cut
out ell the walnuts from my fruit fields.
have found potatoes TO BE- the best crop tc
grow under the walnut Edsos Qs1lord
lFsoyd County, loseo), 81 n. 7. Tribune