Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-12

The fifth annual ucCllhS VI OhO N'''''
Forestry association was held in the Hal
of Representatives at the capitollast even
ing. The meeting was called to order by
Gen Geo. L. Becker, representatives be-
inc in attendance from all sections of the
State.
The annual report of the secretary, Mr
I,R. Hodges, was then read, the report
being as follows:
SECRETARY HODGES REPORT
During the year 1880, keeping steadily in
view "the encouragement and promotlon oil
forest culture by the collection and dlffuslon
of nractical information on that subject, this
association has published another edition OF
G 900 copies of the Tree Planters Manual, oil
which number about 4 700 have been dlstrlp-
nted, leaving 1900 copies now on hand, which
will be enough to meet current demands ior
ahout thirty days. As the demand for this little
book is constantly increasing, the question
arises for the consideration Of this association
whether this demand be met by the association
ar nv private enterprise. The association
has expended about all the funds at
ifs disposal, and its treasury is practically
exhausted. Should the legislature deem IL
proper TO make another appropriation 10 alo
in this cause, the item OF postage shouiu pe
taken into account. No provision for the ex-
psnse of putting into general circulation the
nubIications of this association has yet been
made bv the State, and the fact that its publ
cations have, by the merits OF the case, forced
themselves into general circulation, is no rea-
son why their circulation should not be quad
rupled bv more liberal aid. The large ana con-
slant demand for the manual i'll the uerman,
Swedish and Norwegian languages Is also
subject for your consideration.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The correspondence of this association has
increased in volume to such an extent as to be
wholly out of the question for any one man to
manage without the aid of printed matter.
During the year 1880 not less than two thou
sand letters have been answered by your sec
retary, in reply TO questions as to the best ana
proper methods concerning forest culture.
This correspondence comes from nearly all the
prairie region west and northwest of us, and is
not confined to Minnesota. Nebraska, Dakota,
Montana and Wyoming furnish numerous
correspondents, and our cousins over the bor-
der, in the British province oil Manitoba,
give me constant evidence of their interest Ill
the great work of the rehabilitation OF the
prairies.
In short, our correspondence, while chiefly
from the regions above indicated, does not stop
there. From the st. Lawrence to the Rio
Grande, come inquiries on this subject, also
from beyond the Atlantic. While we obtain
much encouragement and some information,
the amount of genuine, unadulterated, practi-
cal ignorance displayed by the larger portion
of our correspondence, is truly appalling.
AS specimen, reach out and take from
nv desk at random the fist letter | can lay
nv hand on, from which ] extract the follow
ing-I leave name and locality blank:
az intend settling in - county i'll the
spring, and desire some information regarding
the tree planting business.
"Can | set cottonwood cuttings in the fur
row, when the ground is first broke, with
fair show of success? Can Use any other
cuttings successfully the first season, and what
will they coSt?"
The letter from which the above extract is
made is written in good style--penm
ship far surprising that of your secret
tary.
reply to him by sending him Tree Plant
er's Manual 1t did not take him five min
utes to write to me, yet without the aid of the
Manual could not give him the information
he evidently needs without writing over half a
dozen foolscap pages. If he studies it care
fully it will save him loss OF time and money.
THE TIMBER CULTURE ACT.
Abuses growing out of the liberal provisions
OF the timber culture act arc becoming too
numerous for this association to pass un-
needed.
| respectfully call your attention to the fact
that any person having entered quarter sec
tion under the provisions of this act, can hold
it for about three years without planting
tree, seed or cutting-then abandon it to the
government, and the next moment his father,
brother, sister, cousin or aunt, can re-enter it
by the payment of S14, hold it another term of
three years and so pass it along through the
whole family, at trihing cost, less than s. per
annum, not only practically defeating the OBJ
ject of the law, but avoiding Improvements
contemplated, and escaping their share of the
burden of taxation. In like manner the party
making the original entry holds it for three
years without planting and then turns it intoa
homestead.
The power and influence of this association
if properly eXerted can soon obtain
such amendments to the law, as to forever
prevent such abuses thereof.
NEGLECT OF CULTIVATION.
1t seems too bad, after one has been at the
expense of breaking, cultiyating and planting
the trees, seeds or cuttings, to then abandon
them to the weeds and grass, thus throwing
away all the time and money heretofore ex
pended. Yet such is the case at least seven
times in ten among the men in Minnesota who
begin in good faith to carry out the provisions
of the law.
To Illustrate: In the spring of 1877 sold
A. enough one year-old cottonwood trees av
eraging about eighteen inches high to plant
ten acres. He has kept them thoroughly culti-
waited each year since with horse and shovel
plow. Has used the hoe only to cut out what
few weeds and punches of grass that escaped
the plow. His trees now stand so thick as
to completely shade the ground---no weeds or
grass can grow in this dense shade. Ne
further cultivation is needed, or indeed can be
done, as the grove is now too dense to admit
of the passage of horse and plow among
the rows. The trees stand from Is to 20 feet
high, and from (3) three to (5) five inches in
diameter; and this young forest is already a
conspicuous landmark for miles around. At
the same time, l sold B. twenty thousand
same sort of trees, out of same lot. He
planted them on equally well prepared ground.
They all, or nearly all, grew and made a good
start. The first season they received tolerably
good treatment, since which they have been
practically abandoned, no cultivation having
been given them since July, 1877. To-day
they are overtopped by the weeds and grass,
and it would be far better and cheaper to re-
plant yearling trees on clean ground, than to
attempt to clean out and cultivate this miser-
able abortion.
The above are no eytrnme cases II works