The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-01-20
Forest Culture.


steadily in view "the encouragement
and promotion Of forest culture by
the collection and diffusion Of prac.
tical information on the subject, "
this association has published another
edition of $500 copies of the Tree
Planters Manual, of which number
about 4,7O0 have been distributed,
leaving l,500 copies now on hand,
which will be enough to meet current
demands for about thirty days. AS
the demand for this little book is
constantly increasing, the question
arises for the consideration Of this
association whether this demand he
met by the association or by private
enterprise. The association has ex-
pended about all the funds at its dis.
pOsal, and its treasury is practically
exhausted.
The correspondence of this assOcia.
ton has increased in volume to such
an extent us 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 thousand letters have been an
swered by Our secretary, in reply to
questions as to the best and proper
methods concerning forest culture.
This correspondence comes from
nearly all the prairie region west and
northwest of us, and it is not confln.
ed to Minnesota. Nebraska, Dakota,
Montana and Wyoming furnish nu.
merOus correspondents. and our
cousins over the border, in the Brit
ish province of Manatoba, give me
constant evidence of their interest in
the great work of the rehabilitation
of the prairies.
1t seems too bad, after one has been
at the expense of breaking. cultivat.
ing and planting the trees, seeds or
cuttings. to then abandon them to
the weeds and grass, thus throwing
away all the time and money hereto.
fore expended. 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 Inv. One Of the greatest obsta.
cles in the way OF the frontier prairie
farmer to forest culture is the diff
Guilty of obtaining suitable stock for
planting.
Years ago, in one of my papers Oh
forest culture, l suggested the idea of
state nurseries, something like this
Let the state select a tract of its own
land in anumber of suitable localities
convenient for the people to get trees
from. Plant forest.tree nurseries OH
each one Of them. Put them in charge
Of competent men. When of suita-
bic size, the trees to be absolutely
free of cost to every citizen in the
state who has piece of ground prop
erly fitted up; and who is so situated
as to properly plant and cultivate
them.
There are those who attempt So
luton of the fael question with hay.
This. at best, is but Il temporary and
evanescent eXpedient.
AS any agricultural region becomes
settled, the question of fodder neces.
sary for the maintenance Of the hor.
ses, cattle and mules necessary to run
it, is at ance prominent. 1t is worth
too mush to burn as common fuel.
Straw, firmly pressed in suitable
sized blocks, would be a more feast.
BILE material, but in densely settled
countries straw is too much needed
for fodder to be used as fuel.
The only remedy is to plant trees,
aud when every farmer has his own
ten.acre patch OF 1lrewOOd on his own
quarter.sectiOn, the fuel question is
solved, and solved for good.
Whether this great work shall be
further aided by the state to an ex-
tent commensurate with its merits
and Importance. is for the members
of the association and the public to
determine. In no spirit Of bOastful.
ness. but as an encouraging fact, l
may be pardoned in saying that mil
lions Of young, thrifty forest trees,
standing in hundreds of artificial
groves, now scattered over our broad
Minnesota prairies, owe their exis'
tence to the labOrs Of this assOcia.
tiOn.-RepOrt Of SECRETARY State For.
eStry.