Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-02-06
Tim Der Culture.

Philip Ritz in Walla Walla Statesman.
Having taken great Interest in the
timber culture act in al its bearings
upon the welfare OF our citizens, ~
well as the great influence its success
may have upon the climate of our own
finland empire have taken consid-
cradle pains to gather up reliable data.
showing the magnitude of the matter,
and to offer some practical hints from
my own experience on the planting
and growing of timber, and enable
many to succeed with and save their
timber Claims that otherwise, for the
want OF few practical suggestions at
the proper time, might give up in de-
spair, or fail to comply with the re.
quirements Of the law. Very few per
sons have any idea Of the extent to
which settlers in this country have
awaited themselves Of this act. have
taken pains to write to each land of
fee to get the number and address Of
each claimant, and l find that there
are AT The Dalles rs. Lewiston 1888.
Colfax $40 and Walla Walla $50.
Taking this number of claims and
1880 trees required to be planted on
each acre, it will require an average of
about 10000 for each claim or the az
gregate of 100000 forest trees to
he planted in this country within the
next four years, and within the next
four years after there will probably be
a. many more claims taken, so that
within the next eight years there will
be required to be planted, cultivated
and protected the enormous number OF
10000, 900 forest trees in this compar-
atively treeless country. The effect
that nearly four thousand groves Of
forest trees may have upon our dr.,
, climate in increasing the rainfall anc
in diminishing the strong prevailin:
wind currents, or in arrestin. or di
verting its course, or dividing into diff
ferent channels, or in producing diff
/ ferent currents Of electricity SO as t,
counteract or divide the great spira
, columns of wind and electricity which
annually sweep over our country ant
are made up from opposing current
: of air Of different degrees of tempera
l ture and moisture, and which are pro
t ducing yearly those fearful water
spouts that are becoming such terro
to our prairies, and the more our coun
try becomes settled the more moistur
e will come, and the moro frequent vii
e be these waterspouts, until these grove
get well started, so as to change tn
course of these cyclones. AS the car
non Of the mariner at sea breaks tn
equilibrium of the revolving curren
. Of wind, and instead of having tel
y rifle watcrspout strike his vessel h
breaks it up into a spray of heav
showers, SO will these groves by thei
powers of attracting and directin
their currents of air, scatter the shoy
ers broadcast over the plains instead {
e concentrating them in spiral column
l. OF terror and destruction. The sam
g. thing has but recently come under ii
;, scientific investigation Of some of ii
;" countries of Europe For instanc
5 in some portions of France and Swift
II erland, which have been entirely de
G. titute of timber, these WATERPROOF
It became so frequent as to render Il
!. country almost uninhabitable; Il
" country passed very stringent laws {
10 forestry, in order to restore their cou
10 try again to fertility and cultivation
Of Let us in this generation. instead
10 making our country less at.ractiv
:. each do what we can to beautify al
:, adorn these great plains by each plan
III ing and eultivating at least one suns
III patch of forest trees, especially witt
our government so generously offe
us title to 100 acres Of land if ,
u will plant and cultivate ten of it
ID timber.
!. did not intend to write all a6stra
essay on the subject, so now for Z
III practical point. The law requires ii
I'd acres to be plowed the first year a,
RS cultivated the second, and the. renal
" ing five the next year, and ?, $50 tre'
: seeds or cuttings to be planted on ca
- acre, and the party to prove by I,
good witnesses that at the end Of eig
years there are 695 healthy trees gro
IA ing on each of the ten acres. t
IN amended law does not say how I
1t. these trees shall he apart, only the