New-York tribune., 1878-02-05
EORENIRY.

L.
The Nebraska State Board of Agriculture
appears to be a wide-awake and forehanded
corporation. Looking Eastward and beholdlng
the havoc made by the feller who has
risen up against the trees of the field in the
older States, these Nebraska farmers are on
the alert, not only to warn the wanton axe
away from the rich growth OF decduous trees
along their bluffs and in their river bottoms,
and from their dense pine forests in the
North, but they recognize the dcslrabillty
of planting forest belts on the high
and windy levels which now are treeless,
and of enarging the acreage of their
timber tracts, in order to furnish the best con-
dtions which modern science prescribcs for pur-
poses of agriculture. Now, whenever an Amer
lean citizen wants anything done. he memorial
ICES the Federal Government to have somebody
do it for him, quite as naturally as an Indian,
not taxed. turns to his Great Father for fresh
supply of rum and blankets. The Nebraska
State Board of Agriculture, therefore, like prac-
teal men, have promptly "memorlalized Con;
"grcss for an appropriation to send c0mmls-
"sion to European countries to investigate the
"sublect of forestry" Perhaps 1t never sug-
gested itself to these agrculturists that posi-
bly the State Of Nebraska might utilize such
knowledge of forestry as it already possessed.
and manage, without much assistance, to do
something TO encourage the cultivation OF for
ests and discourage their destruction. There
would be nothing practical about such sugges-
ton. II would be un- American. But n few weeks
ago the Governor of sovereign State. III his
message to the Legislature. alluded with much
feeling to the neglected condition OF the grave
where a distinguished citizen of their common
wealth lay buried. Did he appeal to those
patriotic lawmakers for an appropriation
to decorate the resting place OF their dead
Oh. no. lie requested the Legislature to me-
moriaize Congress for monument. Now, n
Government which can furnish garden seeds
and literature and headstones for de-
ceased statesmen and troops" and - ed
"ucation for tho people" ought to
be able to supply good article
of forestry to anybody who happens to
think he wants some. And here come our
| Western brethren with good case. Reclting
how the amateur wOodchoppers in other lands
have made the climate wetter and dryer and
hotter and colder than it ought to be !;
| have brought Spring freshets and Sum-
| mcr droughts and early Autumn frosts
and killing Winter winds, aud have
unhnged the order of things generally. Ne
braska comes to Congress and asks for for
estry to fortify herself against these perils.
WHY not What is the use of a general
government with no paternal yearning to go
INTO the nursery business and send out young
trees and grafting-wax, along with its flower
seeds and agricultural reports, to rural voters.
| But why send commission to European
| "countrcs to investigate the subject OF for
"estry 2" Brethren. what have We to do with
..abroad7" Ii ought to occur to the West
crn mind that considerations i'll favor
| of an American system OF forestry
are moro numerous and weghty than
| those In favor of an American system Of
finance. Honest money is already acclimated
| the world over, but the sagc-brhsh will only
| flourish on our Western plains. or what use
| to us is the experience III forestry OF the
| hoary despotisms of Europe and Asa7 Neither
| the cedar Of Lebanon nor the cotiee-tree will
flourish on the banks of the Elkhorn or Big
| Blue Fork Of the Platte, any more than
| grcenbacks will circulate in those depraved
countries where the people are oppressed
with IL monomctaic currency. The Old
| forestry, based on the cottonwood and hack
berry trees of Nebraska, than it does of tinan-
cial system based upon unlimited silver and
| the everlasting pOstpOncment of resumption. 1t
ia this suggestion OF "abroad" which brings
with it haunting suspicion that this new
found zeal for forestry may be adulterated
| with some motives not 80 purely vegetable.
Nor is this suspicion altogether allayed by a
portentous paragraph in Washington paper
| The Nebraska memorial" is there character
lied AS very timely, then some useful infOr-
nation in regard to arborculture is added.
and finally the ardent hope is expressed that
"thc whole subject may be at once placed
"under the control of the Department of Agri-
culture, where it really belongs and that the
Commissioner may be empowered" ETC., ETC.
| And art thou there again, Old Truepenny !
And isn't our versatile COMMISSIONER who energies
out of all this Forestry with its accompanying
appropriation for European plcnics9 Oh, Le
Due! lie Due !
THE BRITISH PARTY CONTEST
fI'ho orr.at Rritish lnhota which q drawing