Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-07-25

GROWING FOREST TREEs-For severa
reasons the sugar maple seems to be tht
most useful shade tree to plant in Ill
sections where it will grow. Though in
the forest it shoots up, and docs not yiel,
as much shade as many other trees, il
spreads its branches much more thar
when growing alone, and if its growth i:
made symmetrical by judicious pruning
| soon after it is set. it becomes one of the
most beautiful of shade trees. 1t also
makes the best of fuel, and, moreover, Il
sugar orchard by the roadside, where the
sap can be conveniently gathered with IL
team, is no small advantage.
"But cant afford to wait for IL sugar
orchard to grow up" says the young
farmer, and the old farmer cant afford
to plant trees for poslerity."
Granting that waiting isl jmpossibility
to an American, let me suggest to the
young farmer that he plant the trees and
then busy himself about something else
until they grow up, in the meantime
feasting his eyes and mind upon the
growing trees, and congratulating himself
that if he dies young ne may leave his
mark in the world The objection of the
old farmer may be answered by remind
ing him that he can leave no more useful
monument than Il tree, that he will
probably live to sit in its shade, and even
if he does not it it Is but Il selfish objection ;
or who does not aspire to leave the world
a little better than he found it, and to do
something for which future generations
will bless himP A writer on forestry saws !;
tIhnI1sondc
day TO lay up wealth for their children,
when, if they would invest Il small amount
in land and then plant few acres of our
best forest trees, their money would grow
into Il fortune by the time their children
had grown into manhood"
Besides planting trees by the roadside
for shade, it is a profitable investment to
plant them upon worn out lands, especially
upon barren hilltops where some kinds of
trees will flourish, though the soil be too
dry and stony for other vegetation.
The pine tree, for example, thrives in
soil which is too poor for profitable
cultivation, and the elm will grow rapidly
almost anywhere.
Trees planted for the purpose of growing
timber should be placed nearer together
than shade trees, in order that they may
grow taller and with less top and fewer
knots.
Another purpose of planting trees is the
reboisment of the denuded slopes, which
can be most successfully accomplished by
making horizontal terraces or notchcs
for sowing the seed or planting the trees.
When they are well rooted they obstruct
torrents, and the rain is gently filtered
Al. Al, 8
channels on the surface, and carrying
with it the best of the soil. The debris
from the hillside will be caught by the
roots and trunks. and, together with the
f,llen leaves, will form Il new and produc
We soil.
Trees for transplantlng from the forest
should be selected. so far as possible.
standing apart from the others. In
raising them from the seed care must be
exercised to gather and plant the seeds at
the right time. 1t is impossible to specify
the time for sowing all kinds Of tree seeds,
but the general rule is to sow them soon
after they are ripe. The seeds of the
sugar and Norway maple rpen in autumn,
while those of the red and silver maple
ripen in June and preserve their vitality
only few weeks, though most tree seeds
can be kept so that they will retain their vi
tality for several months if put in a cool,
dry place. Except in localities where land
is very cheap it is generally best to p liant
the seeds in a nursery, and transplant
the tress when they are large enough, but
there is risk in transplanting nut trees
where the ground is dry. Conifers are
very difficult to raise from seed, unless
thn do IN y,ln a