Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-27
TREE PLANTING.

on Tuesday night was briefly reported in
Yesterdays GLOBE. The following pre-
amble and resolutions were adopted;
WHEREAS, In pursuance of memorial
unanimously adopted by the chamber OF COM
merce of St. Paul, bill was introduced in
| Congress at the last session providing for a
grant of 800 sections of the public lands of
the United States, the proceeds of which
should constitute q permanent fund for the
support of school of forestry at st Paul;
and
WHEREAS, The terms of said bill provide
with uncommon strictness for the invlolable
appropriation of the interest that may accrue
from said fund, for the use intended; and,
WHEREAS, A number of the most eminent
and learned men of the country, including the
presidents of Cornell university and Yale col
ege, have, after careful examination, expressed
then candid approval of said bill; and,
WHEREAS, said bill is still pending in Con-
gress. Therefore,
Resolved, By the State Forestry association
of Minnesota, that said bill deserves the earnest
support of our Senator's and Representatives in
Congress.
Resolred, That the secretary of this asso-
citation cause copy of these resolutions and
preamble to be forwarded 10 each of our Sen
ators and Representatives in Congress.
The following committee report pre-
pared by Secretary Hodges was presented
by ex- Gov. Marshall owing to the illness
of Mr.. Hodges:
Your committee, to whom was referred
the question of the establishment of forest
tree nurseries on the public lands in the
western and southwestern counties of the
State have duly considered the subject
and report as follows:
From the best obtainable data, we find
the treeless region proper OF Minnesota
covers not less than 500 townships first
class agricultural prairie lands. All of
these townships are moro or less settled.
We find them practically destitute of tim
ber-if evenly distributed, not one
quarter Of an acre of timber to a quar-
ter section of prairie. Reducing this
bare area to counties of sixteen town
ships each, it would cover thirty one
counties of 368. $40 acres each.
DR.. John A Mareler, Of Ohio, presi-
dent of the American Forestry associa-
ton, advises the farmers of that State
to plant % per cent of their farms in for
est, believing that the remainder will
produce more than if the entire area were
cultivated wide Prof. c. Y. Lacy's lee
ture.)
Getting down to details, I'VE find in an
average county of sixteen townships,
2,304 quarter sections, and allowing only
one-siXteenth instead of one-fourth the
area to be planted, or ten
acres on each quarter section,
it would require, if planted in accordance
with the most successful experience,
about 81, 900, 900 of young trees for each
county, and over two thousand million
forest trees to plant ten acres to timber,
or each quarter section of the trceless re-
gion Of Minnesota. In addition to this
very large area, contiguous thereto, or too
remote from timber in any sufficient
quantities, are not less than $50 prairie
townships.
To give each quarter section in
these $50 additional prairie townships a
grove of ten acres would require an ad-
ditional item of thousand million forest
trees, making grand total of not less
than three thousand million of forest
trees, 10 per cent. of which would I'M
doubleday be planted annually were the
young trees placed in reach of the people
who so badly need them.
For convenience of illustration, we
will suppose an average size prairie coun-
ty of sixteen townships requiring 65 900,
900 trees to give each quarter section a
grove of ten acres) should plant as above
indicated, 10 per cent. annually. To
meet this demand for ten years would re-
quire the planting of 100 acres annually,
or 1000 acres to each such county during
ten years, and this multiplied by the
number of counties to be benefted
would give the amount of land required
for the whole work.
This amount of land to be planted in
forest nursery can be materially reduced
by the transplanting by the farmers when
the young trees attain years growth,
leaving enough of the first crop to stand
for few years, about four feet apart each
way, and replanting again to large eX-
tent on the same ground By pursuing
some such method the same plat of
ground can be made to do double service,
thus materially reducing cost.
About 65, 900 young trees can be safely
reckoned on as the average annual pro-
duct per acre, of the varieties best suited
to the soil and climate. From the fore
going data we estimate beginning can
be made in this direction by preparing the
ground for fifteen nurseries at the follow
ing cost, 100 acres to each nursery:
Breaking $500 ceres, in June, 1851,
cost s.. Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
Crossplanting same in June, 1882. 80. 5000
Flowing same in September or October,
1882. ..................... 5000
Narrowing same in spring OF 1888, cost
10 cents ..................... 1,O5O
Marking out in spring of 1888. ... 100
Total. .S12, 800
4lnic Of r., or1 60
horses to each 100 acres during the
months of May, June and July of each
year, under charge of competent fore
man, who should reside in the immediate
vicinity, and have general supervision of
the nursery, and who should have au-
thority to protect it from cattle, and
horses, and fire, and the causes of damage
Your committee estimate that an ap-
preparation of S17 500 for the necessary
expense of preparing $500 acres for
nurseries, printing manuals, secretary's
salary, travelling expenses and postage,
will be needed during the years 1881 and
1882.
Your committee would recommend
that one section of the land owned by
the State be reserved from sale for the
purposes above mentioned, in each of
the following counties: Big Stone, Rock,
Murray, Traverse, Mobiles, Swift, Ste
vens, Pipestone, Redwood, Grant, Cot
tonwood, Lac qui Parle, Wilkin, Yellow
Medicine, Lyon. The census of 1850
shows a population IN round numbers of
not less than 100000 people, scatter
ed over region of country
practically destitute of timber
Allowing five to family, this 200, 900
souls represent probably about 10000
families. Each family require ten cords
of wood per annum, or 400, 900 cores per
annum, for the people already on the
grand, Allowing twenty cords per acre
as the average yield Of our native forests,
and 1t requires an annual clearing of
10000 acres of forest to meet present
0f