The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-08

Nebraska and other States liberal pre-
miumS have been offered for the enc"ur
;l~cment of tree planting, and already il
many portions of the prairie region per
crptible change has taken place, and til,
eye no longer wanders over great space
without sight of shrub or tree. MIME
sofa has her Forestry ASSociat ion, aIit
its secretary reports that between Seve!
and ten millions of trees We're planted il
that State during the year ISL. of ~hicl
more than half m Hon We're plantct
in IA single day, hrhor Day as it i
called. on cc-plantin@ day, the tirS
Tuesday oi May having been fixed npn!
vitri to devote the day especially to til,
planting of trees. Similar efforts haH,
been made in other States which are sim!
Iarly situated in respect to Il supply "
forest. The great railway companies
whose roads stretch across the trceles
praiI les. have become in some instance
large planters OF trees. feeling the neet
ut them beth as screens from the lierc,
storms that sweep down from the Rock
VI untarS. and us IL source of supply f'n
the les which are constantly needing re
newal.
Tree. planters manuals are published
and distributed freely. with a view Il
aid those WHO would plant by givin.
them the experience already obtained il
regard to the most profitable tree to plant
and the best methods of planting. Thus
III some places there is already quite {;
movement in the right direction. In the
reports of planting. the figures make an
imposing aggregate. But liberal dis
count II, eds tn he made for the probable
culture Of Il large percentage of the trees
planted. And even with the NEST gen
.ruu> estimate in regard tn the work ol
planting. what is accomplished as Vet is
but fraction of what needs t. be dome.
1t is but the feeble beginning OF Il vast
work. The talk is of millions of trees
planted. This sounds well. But a good
many trees can stand upon an acre. and
the latest estimates pat the annual de-
crease Of our forest area at seven million
acres. So that Minnesota. with all her
.,rcor in this work. has only planted one
tree for every acre uf trees destroyed.
Nu area equal to that of the State OF
Nary land is every year swept clean of its
trees. This IS Il large section to be taken
yearly ont of our forest resources. With
al that we are yet doing in the way
IT tree planting. the balance is lar4ell
/ -ainSt us. With all the interest ana
energy manifested by thc young West
IA this subject. stimulated by her tnuoi
pressing need, we are only planting ON
acre while thi!tr-live are lald bare by
IRE. Aud We must consider aI>,, thai
t:,e work uf destruction goes on at az
INCREASING i;ire from year t" year as Qua
iiud that the trees which are iellcd ar
the product, on the average. of more than
4 ccntury'S growth, while those We plaut
must grow during 4 century before the
ran ill their place.
the " nix before lis. therefore. is hut
inst begun Wuh the utmost that W.
irc likely t. do. or can do now, We shall
inevitably suffer more than we Yet hav"
lone before the evils of our present con
litlon can be rcmcdied. Oar streams
will flow with still less volume than they
lbw do. Floods and d.nu.nts more Dis
.rcs>ing and deatructivet!!ai those hich
nave marked the last twenty five years
will yet make us their victims. lorna
Ices aud sweeping blasts, coming over
vast regi MS where their course Is unim
pcdcd by the friendly and protecting trees
vii BE- the ScuurgeS still OF man ana
1eaSt. Nature bears long with those VII"
wrong her. She is patient under ahu>r.
Bnt when abuse has gone too far. When
ne time of reckoning finally comes. She
5 equally slow to be appcased and t"
urn away her wrath. We nlnat bear Der
'escntmcnts for a time, do what We will.
he nations that have gone before us, WI
nay escape most of the bitter suIfering>
which have been their lot. We can d"
hat which will put period to the evil
'esuits OF our own misconduct.
For this purpose the most important
md fruitful thing to be done is to spread
lie facts relating To the subject before
he people as widely as possible, that
common conviction and cUmalun feeling
may insure appropriate and harmonious
teton The mass OF the people need /"
Dc enlightened III regard to the relation
Icalth--iu short. to all the varied lite ana
interests OF man. They should have set
before them the warnings from the hi>to
~ of the Old World. Thry need. too. AL
the facts relating to the growth Of trees
~ related To the peculiar conditions OF
surface. soil. and climate III this country.
The problem before us is not to he So!v-
al simply by the methods which have
been successful clSeWh here. There are De
,uiiar elements which call for peculiar
treatment.
As to Facts. also, they are yet in large
measure to be discovered by patient ob
>crvation and experiment. There are IA
great many SD called facts in regard to
this subject, as there are III regard t.
mrs5 subjects. What we especially need
are facts which are iacts-facts establish
cd, not by one individual workimg i'll u
limited range f circumstances, bat facts
based on i, wide induction from the work
Of concurrent and competent observers
We have been Xperimeuting, and have
aScertaincd some facts. Let these be
spread before the people, and be used so
Tar as they may hc used wisely. Mean
while the call is tor more of careful. pa
tlent, scientific observation and expert
ment We want to know what trees will
grow best i'll one soil, and what IN a diff
crcnt one. what in one exposure, and what
in another: which will make Il screen or
wind break soonest and best: what trees
are most profitable for fuel in Kansas.
aud what in Massachusetts,: and what arc
most profitable to be grown for timber
or for the arts. We really know very lit
tie as yet about many Of these questions,
and knowledge is what we want here. of
all thugs. If a man in planting for a
crop of corn makes mistake in chn"s-
ING his seed or soil, or i'll his metilnd Of