The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-06-23
HOW A FOREST WILL GROW.


HOW A FOREST WILL GROW.
Facts that are Full of Encouragement to Tree
Planters.
TO show how fast forest will grow, here
is IN extract from Mr.. Leonard B. Hodges
address, read before the annual meeting of
the Minnesota State Agricultural society in
February, 1879. It's worth reading. He
SAYS:
Il bring forward only Minnesota growths
as specimens of what has already been
done. We have no occasion to draw from
the state for facts for the encouragement
Of forest culture. From many hundreds of
similar facts, select the following as sufd-
cient:
"Cottonwoods, in Olmsted county, sew
enteen years old, are from so to so feet
high and from 60 to 81 inches in circumfer-
ence. Cottonwood in Dakota county, sew
enteen years old, are over sixty feet high,
from 81 to so inches in circumference.
and will yield cord Of fire-wood per tree,
and are now standing on the farm Of A. E.
Messenger, Esq.
Eastwood are now standing on timber
land cleared by the writer, in 1857, in the
town of Oronoco, Olmsted county, 80 feet
high, Is inches in circumference. Ash, on
same ground, 10 to 81 inches in circumfer-
ence. Is feet high, 10 to II years old. But
ternut, Is inches in circumference, Is feet
high, II years old, Pignut hickory, Is
inches in circumference, Is feet
high, 10 to II years old This is or
ground cleared from 10 to Is years ago, and
left to the care of nature ever since.
"On grub prairie in the village of Oro-
| noco, where the grubs did not average two
feet high and nothing but oak to be seen
twenty years ago, now stands grove from
which, select jack oak trees 20 to 26 inches
in circumference, and 25 to 80 feet high
white oak trees, 81 to % inches in circum-
ference, and 20 to 80 feet high; butternut,
~ inches in circumference, and rs to 80
feet high.
"All this without any cultivation, no pro-
lection from cattle, but pretty we'll protect
ed from fire.
"In the door-yard of John X. Kepner,
Little Valley, Olmsted county, black wal
nut is bearing, years old, from seed, 3 to
inches in diameter, Is to 20 feet high; elm
trees, six years from seed, 2 to 4 inches in
| diameter; scarlet maple still larger; box ell
der, larger yet, and cottonwoods twice as
large as the box-elder; honey locust rather
Glow grower, but hardy, only one in fifty
| having been killed during the hard winter
| of 1925; white pine 20 feet high, to 8
| inches in diameter. transplanted from the
forest, seven and eight years ago, when
only few inches high; balsam fir 1872
feet high, 80 inches in circumference one
foot above the ground; IL years old, the
branches coveringa circle more than so feet.
On the farm of Hon. Dwight Rath-
burn, Fillmore county, black ash, seven to
eight years old from seed, IS to 81 inches
in circumference, Is feet high, with beau
| tifully shaped tops Is to IS feet across. In
dooryard Of Gen. German, st. Paul, tam
cracks transplanted from the swamp eigh-
teen years ago 80 to IS feet high, and "a to
81 inches in Misunderstanding enough
for railroad ties. Sugar maple, on Dayton
| avenue, St. Paul, % to 26 inches in cir
| conference. On the farm of Harrison
Waldron Of Byron, Olmsted county, white
| willow, Al inches in circumference one foot
| above the ground, 40 feet high, eight years
from the cutting. Mr.. G. N. Waldron, in
| the same vicinity has white willows of still
larger growth. At Winona, Eastwood,
| planted in 80. 20 inches in circumference;
hard maple, same age, 1G inches in circum-
ference; soft maple, planted FIVE or six
years later, IS inches in circumference;
elm, planted in 1859 or 1860, 81 inches in
! circumference; cottonwood, planted in
| same row at same time, 70 inches in cir
| conference. These results, gratifying as
| they are, might have been materially in
| creased by better cultivation, and many OF
them but little.
Mr.: Hodges also asserts
First-That the farmer on the bleakest
portion of our treeless regions, can, with
less ready money than it would cost to buy
| breaking pillow, surround his stock yard
and buildings with wind break within five
years. that will protect him as effectually as
! though he was in the middle of the Biz
| woods.
Second-that a crop of trees can be grown
as surley, and in proportion to its value
with far less expense that a crop of corn
Third-That ten acres properly planted
to timber and properly cultivated will, ir
five years. supply fuel for family in great
abundance and also fencing for q farm Of
100 acres.
Fourth-That the most worthless lands
of our treeless regions can, through the
Intervention of the tree planter, be sold fo1
800 per acre within twenty years,
Sixth-That single cottonwood seed
although smaller than grain of mustard
seed, can by intelligent cultivation be de.
veloped into cord of frewood within
twenty years
Seveath-That any young man of mus.
cular development can surely accomplish
these results, provided he is not in too grea
haste to get rich.
| These assertions are worth considering
Why not test them at once?