The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-12-29

confess / have little hope of effective ac-
ton in this matter on the part of my brothers.
They are too conservative. The average hor-
ticulturist has too strong grip, as yet, upon
the animal side of this business, to let up on
his aversion to untillable land IL set out
trees" said one to me with indignation in his
tone. "Hav'nt been all my life cutting
them down? And shall set them out again?
Not if the court knows herself, an bet she
does" However, the horticultural hungers
for facts, as his stomach hungers for food,
The trouble is, if the fact presented to him
does not accord with his own experience, he
is as likely to reject it as his stomach is to
kick at an unaccustomed filling.
know of an instance occurring within the
last two years, where man. who has peach
orchard and some grape vines, cut down a
beautiful line of second growth hickory and
oak along the highway, because, he said, 1.-The
trees kept his old rail fence moist and rotted
it." He didn't see until the wind break was
gone that it helped to keep the interior of
his field moist also.
Another man lately cut down similar line
of oak and hickory, on the south line of his
vineyard "To let in the air. he said. At
present he has plenty of air, and his vines
crowd to the earth to escape it. On this lat
ter farm was fine peach orchard, sheltered
on the southwest and west by voluntary of
oak and black walnut. There were gaps in
the line which the owner did not care TO fill.
few winters ago southwest storm of I'M
usual severity struck that orchard, and, in
the line of the gaps, the trees were destroyed,
and in the line of the oaks and walnuts, the
trees suffered only in their buds, the fruit as
a crop being killed. 1t was after this ex-
perience that the man cut down the trees on
the north of his grapes. The discourage
ment is, that each of these men could take
their seats in the sessions of the society and
be accepted as intelligent members; for, they
are really intelligent men and well-to-do in
the world-makers of their own property.
There are three brawny oaks scattered on
a field of mine, near the highway. l bought
the land in the grub or it is safe to say
they would not be there. They are gnarled
and crooked, with great arms reaching many
feet from their short, thick Enthusiastically
picturesque objects. | suppose the tree
slayer was greatly put out at the sight of
these trees. No salable timber could be got
out of them, only some posts or lot of rails.
All else stove wood-at that time of not
much account, but of some value now. Well,
people ask me, "Why don't you cut them
down. For want of sufficient reason
reply. "But they will make pile of posts
and rails they urge. Il know it," / reply
"but l can buy those, and l would have to
wait not less than three hundred years to
replace the trees" l can compliment the in
telligence of my interrogators generally by
saying that rarely have to defend my stall
wart friends beyond that point.
AS a society respectfully suggest that we
should accumulate facts relating to forestry.
What is the proper proportion of cleared
land to woodland? And how to be dis
tributed? What are the best forest trees for
planting. considering the time of growth to
maturity and their value for wood and tim
Der? Should edible nut bearing trees be
favored! What facts have we touching the
drying of the surface of the earth by the
wind and the influence of trees in preventing
it? What means have we of verifying the
facts that none may err therein or remain
doubling Thomases? / earnestly urge
special effort in this direction for the better
information of the brethren.
The Semi-God Eneas, in his wandering.
seeking his distant home ON the vine clad
banks of the Tiber, was shipwrecked and
landed on strange coast. Foodless, he
ley herd of deer. apparently marshalled by
some bearing lofty heads and branching
antlers. long line of others stretched be-
hind these into the dark shadows of dense
ly leaved forest. The horticulturists of
Michigan have noble men III the van delight
ing themselves with the lawns. the gardens.
orchards and vineyards, all beautiful To be-
hold and very profitable to their owners,
while the main column is scattered far to the
rear among protitless orchards and dolorous
vineyards, tentative efforts of the owners to
rise among 'fruit men until it is lost in
thickets of wild apple briar bushes and fall
lows overrun with the tangling dew-berry. /
long for the time, which however / do not
expect to see, when the command. cleft front
into line, the whole force thoroughly in
formed, will take the position ordered each
man as completely equipped as his fellow.
For with such an army our next best friend,
the forest tree, will be safely delivered from
its ruthless enemies.
As to ornamental forestry must say, if is
so exclusively q matter of taste in the in
dividual, that l am 10th to express my own
views, lest all the ladies and gentlemen pres
ent shall say, l am wanting in that they each
possess in a very high degree. But assum-
ing that all animals from the mysterious be-
OH Iot,,. Ioovoo oo,o~o1 .r,.l,