The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-20

% 70 Insure their permanent growth. II
costa time and money to do II we'll. and not
one settlor In ton Thousand who entcrs q tree
culture claim has either the time or the
munOy t0 devote TO any such purpose. The
rosult has been that when planting uuder
the provisions Of this law has been done at
all. II has been done In such hasty
and inefficient manner that failure has
been Inevitable. Tho Government has given
away something like ten million acres ofland
under this net. without any results at all
commensurate with this great gift. A good
many cottonwood cuttings have been stuck
into the ground, and other trees have been
planted hore and there, but 1t Is doubtful II
all tho talk and enthusiasm about the Timber
Culture net which exists IN some Of the West
ern States has over produced \ healthy
growth Of anything like five thousand ncrcs
OF trccs IN tho whole ~ the United States.
II timber culture plantations exist, they are
not visible to the Eastern traveller.
Tho second reason why tho Timber Culture
act should bc repealed Is not less conclusive
than that wa have just explained. This law
WAS 4 production Of Minnesota. 1t WAS
draft.,d by citizens OF that State Interested
In developing among their people u taste
for planting trces. So far M Minnesota
IL concerned 1t IL q good law, except for the
impossibllity Of getting settlers. MS VIC have
already explained, to cxpond the labor aud
money necessary to insure the growth Of
several acres VI trees. There Ia nothing In
the climate or the soil OF Minnesota to pre-
vent free and luxuriant growth Of trees.
That tho western portions OF the Stnte arc
~ Ia IN tn ho NJ
continual burning than to any climatic
influences. This Is equally true OF the States
south Of Minnesota In the same longitude,
aud even the eastern portions OF the States
further west: in oil this prairie region
proper trees. when carefully planted and
properly cultivated. grow freely and rapidly.
West OF this prairie region, however, Is q
higher and dricr region, where trees do not
grow naturally, because there Is not sum
Client rainfall over that portion Of tho country
to insure their growth. A forest needs rain
copious and well distributed, and where there
10 not rain there aro not trees, and trees
cannot be induced to flourish. The Timber
Culture act, however, is operative in every
pnrt " the public domain, except In the case
Of timber and mineral lands, so that land
can be taken up under its provisions any
where upon tho great plains, or In any Of
the dry and treolcss valleys west OF tho
Rocky Mountains. L. must not be forgotten
that In every part of the country west Of
these mountains, except In the extreme
Northwest, all the valleys are dry and tree
less, and that the forests are strictly confined
to the highest mountain ranges, which at
tract sufficient moisture to cause trees to
flourish upon their sides. The agricultural
lands are all dry, and irrigation is
everywhere necessary to insure the
growth Of summer crops That is, there
Is no land on the great plains east Of
the Rocky Mountains or In the valleys
west Of the Rocky Mountains where thore is
the slightest chance Of trees growing with
out irrigation, which upon any large scale is
owing to the insufficient water
supply Of the entire interior portion Of the
continent. The result OF this IL that the Gov
eminent Of the United States deceives every
year thousands OF honest settlers upon its
territory into the belief that trees can be
make them grow. thus causing severe dlsap-
pointments and entailiny serious losses OF
money and Of time, more valuable even than
money to men struggling to overcome tho
OF their situation. when every dol
ar and every hour Is Of inestimabe value.
When this law was made the men who
It were ignorant, perhaps. Of the
laws which govern the growth of trees, and
knew little Of tho pecuaar climate or nat
lral features OF the western half Of the cOnti-
aent. where the public domain was principal
" sltuated. They prepared what there is
,vary reason tn believe they were convinced
would be- q useful measure to insure the
gradual conversion OF a treeless into wood
I'd country. The bill WAS based, however,
upon insufficient. experience Of the operation
Of planting upon large scale In new coun.
try, and without any adequate idea OF the
nature OF the climate and soil of u large por-
ton OF the territory which would be included
In the workings Of such general law. There
was, perhaps, then suificlen. aeason why
such law should have been made; there
ls no reason, now that eSperience has
clearly sSrown that it has everywhere failed
TO produce tho results which were expected
NJ 1t, why 1t should not ne abolished. And
this Is MI the more desirable because under
its workings the Government il dcfrauded
by dishonest cntrics, and honest settlers are
tcfrnudcd by tho Government by taking up
lands which the very existence Of such law
leads them to bc!icvo arc suited
for the growth not only OF trees, but OF all
crops.
A law under which both the Government
Is cheated by the settlers and the settlers are
cheated by the Government. should, in the
interest OF public morality at least, 10
stricken from the statute book.