The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-01-03

lf
age we live in, secured the late yic-
tories OF Our naval sovereignty. IN
Qiilre at the admiralty how the fleets
of Nelson have been constructed. and
they can tell yon that it WAS with the
oaks which the genius Of Evelyn
planted. Lterary Character. y.
pa
Mr.. Greeley. in the New York Tri-
bnne of the 9Th Of June, 1865. said:
This need not be. and must not
continue. The plains are not all
sterile. Their soil is full Of alkaline
substances which strongly condncp to
fertility. Salt Lake City is built on
a bench or 'swale FIVE thousand feet
above sea-level and nearly inclosed
by lofty mountains, and no tree had
grown on this or amy kindred tract
within the human tradition till the
Mornons settled there; and now.
being irrigated. it is empowered in
shade and fruit trees. 1t might more
easily have been converted into a
dense forest. And We judge that
there is no spot on the continent be-
lsthmus of Darien and the sixtieth
degree Of north latitude where living
water can be procured which cannot
be readily covered with trees.
Where water cannot be had. the ease
is more difficult: vet the red cedar
and the mountain pine grow on the
drvest. most sterile mountains: While
the redwood and perhaps the big
trees of California may be equally
independent of water.
Fire is the chief enemy of forests
and dry regions, and h;t,l- doubtless
been dealing with them as man il
now dealing with the buffalo for CEN
turtles. We saw ample evidence that
timber was formerly less scarce on
the plains and in the great basin than
it now is. while in III the prairie
States where roads and settlement
have limited the sweep Of prairie
fires, there is Il steady increase of
timber. We do not say (as many ao1
that Illinois has more timber growing
to-day than she had fifty years ago;
hut We do say that her timber is far
better distributed than in 1915, and
thus better adapted to the needs and
uses OF mankind.
The manner in which frtlit trees Of
different kinds and originating in
different regions and climates have
been transferred to this country and
successfully cultivated To the number
Of many millions is the most complete
answer to All ,toubters. The orchards
Of the United States, it collected in
one locality. would cover hundreds OF
thousands ct acres. II sneli results
have been achieved with these most
tender and precautions foreign trees.
why could they not be attained with
the hardy forest trees Of our own
country2 II we can raise groves OF
the peach can we not raise forests Of
the oais or the maple,
There is an additional fact to sns-
tain Mr. Greeleys statement. that
trees and groves may be grown by the
aid of irrigation even in the midst of
the sage and the cactus plains. The
French Government las been boring
artesian wells in the great african
desert. and wherever the water bub-
hles to the surface an oasis springs
UP. Lahonlaye, i'll his beautiful tale
Of The '.Four-l Clover has
given Il charming account Of the de-
yelopment of such Il well III the
desert with its palm trees and its
"srbllng birds. But there is Il vast
region Of orr country almost iuinai,-
table which could be rendered 50 BIZ
the presence Of groves and forests.
and where they could be. made to
grow without irrigation. / refer 20
the Territory OF Dakota. to Nebraska,
and to western Minnesota and to
Kansas and Texas; in short, to MI the
border land between the timbered
country and he arid interior IN the
greater part of this country the forest
would be almost spontaneous. Little
woulds be needed but to protect
the young growth from fire and do
nestle cattle, and where no sponta-
neous growth of brush appeared to
plant groves in such localities as viii
be most favorable, along the banks Of
streams or lakes, or near moist or
springy places.
[ quote With pleasure the following
extract from u late number of the
Wisconsin Farmer:
AS an evidence Of the facility with
which timber may be produced, we
have only to observe results in locali-
tiles where the spontaneous growth
has been preserved by l,roviient
farmers, and We have seen no better
examples than are to be found in
Grant county There large tracts Of
grub land have been left to grow up
where the timber had been cut of or
destroyed by fires, and these groves.
of all sizes. from a few acres up 10
hundreds Of acres which everywhere
skirts the prairies. form one of the
most delightful features of that re-
gion. These sappli ngs are mostly
oak and hickory, and cover the
ground SO tfiickly that at d little dis
tance their tall, straight trunks seem
TO form III simpenetrable wall Of tim
Der. and this new growth is already
furnishing supplies Of fuel art!
fencing.
Zone gentleman in Potosi Informed |
us that twenty years before he had a
tract covered with heavy timber
which he cnt off clean and left to
grow up to young timber, and that
the young growth would cut twenty
five cords of wood to the acre. IN
deed.it is thought by some that there
is as much weight of timber in Grant
county now as there was twenty Years
a r.<.