The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-01-17
IRRIGATION AND FOREST CULTURE.
SPEECHOFHON. I. DONNELLY,
OF MINNESOTA,
In the House of Representatives,
July Is, 1868,

OF MINNESOTA.
In the House of Representatives,
July Is, 1868,
IRepublished by request OF Hon.
LIB. Hodges, Hon. E. F. Drake and
Others.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
/ make one more extract from this
highly valuable document:
s.NOw, if we look over the State,
we will see that in the southern, most
populous, and least wooded portion OF
the State of Wisconsin the forests
have destroyed at such a rate that
they do not yield supply adequate
for the wants Of the present lnhabl-
tants and the forests of the northern
region, heretofore considered the
inexhaustible storehouse OF wood for
the adjoining treeless districts, will
soon be so reduced that the people
must look elsewhere for their sup
plies unless better policy in regard
to them be speedily adopted.
If heavily-wooded Michigan and
Wisconsin are already becoming
alarmed at the decrease of their for
ests and the injurious effects which
their destruction produces on the
climate, what shall we say of Iowa,
southern and southwestern Mime
sofa, Nebraska, Dakota, Kansas. and
all the rest of the great treeleSs re-
giOn which stretches to the Rocky
Mountains! Without trees nine
tenths of this region must continue
uninhabitable. Without water the
E hn Mo n
will be difficult.
In this region it will be wise for
Congress to adopt some such lpolicy
as that suggested in the beginning of
these remarks. If grants of land
have led to the building of railroads
where means Of transportation were
a necessity, will not similar grants
lead to the dissemination of water
and the planting of trees where for.
ests and water are even as necessary
as railroads! 1t will cost less to irri.
gate a mile and plant and protect
forests thereon than it would to con
struct mile of railroad, and the
latter will be even more remunera'
tive than the former.
The Government might also very
properly give grants of land to insti
stutions of learning, such as colleges
and universities, situate III the tree
less States to enable them to expert
ment in the planting and growth Of
forests.
The homestead law should also BIZ
amended SO that whenever the claim
of the settler does not contain any
timber, and is five miles distant from
any considerable body of forest. hi
should be required to plant with trees
ut least ten acres of the one hundred
and sixty acres taken by him, and tt
protect the same until the expiration
of his five years of settlement. This
might at first seem an onerous re
quirement, but the settler would soor
see that he derived all the benefits O.
his own labor, while the grove thus
planted would add largely to TIL,
value of his land. An extensive
tract ofkco.ntry SO dotted over Will
groves of ten acres each would b,
transformed, not only in appearance
but in its climatic conditions, Will,
its productive power would be Target,
increased by the protection the grow
ing crops would receive from TIL,
sweeping winds.
The Agricultural Department. in
stead of flooding the country will
common garden seeds, which can b,
procured at any seed snop, shonld col
lect large quantities of the best forest
tree seeds and send with them accom-
panying directions to those on Thu
frontiers who might apply therefor
n very few thousand dollars thu
expended annually would produce al
incalculable amount lof good, whicl
would be felt for many succeedin,
generations.
Mainly, however. in such alwork
we must rely upon the wisely directed
efforts of individuals. land on health,
public sentiment to sustain them ant
to direct local legislation. The diffu
sion of information will do good. TIL
example of Il few far sighted citizen
in each community will be followe,
by Il horde of imitators. This process
is arleady at work. 1t is credibly rs
serted that there is more timber to
day in Illinois and Iowa than Their
was thirty-tive years ago, and TO
the reason that from the very frs
the people felt the necessity for trees
they could not afford to recklessl
destroy them. and they have Sc
themselves to work to plant and pre-
tect them.
In the treeless regions every spo
of land which shows tendency t,
grow to brush should be CAREFUL
protected from fire and cattle. >ucl
spot is natures hint-the prophec
of forest. Where experiments ar
made they should be made upon sue
lands or those of Il kindred quality
The banks of lakes. streams. an
marshes should be taken advantag
of. for there the moisture in tn
earth will compensate in part for tn
dryness of the atmosphere ,jwhile eve
the atmosphere itself modified by a
the proximity of any considerabl
body of water. The farmer shoul
plant his groves on those sides of hi
land from which the prevailing wind
blow. and in such form rs will affor
the greatest amount of protection I
the growing crops. The subject Q
forest planting should be taken up b
the agricultural journals and farmer.
clubs of the West. and premiums b
given to those who do most to develo
the subject either by ESSAYS or expel