The Concordia eagle. [volume] (Vidalia, La.) 1873-1890, 1885-04-25
FOREST CULTURE.
What Has Been Accomplished In Ne
braska.

braska.
No reasonably intelligent person can
doubt the advantage and benefit to the
country at large of the maintenance of
a considerable area of forest. No one
can ignore the value of timber as a
material for use in various arts and for
the domestic supply of farmers and
Others who require rough and cheap
timber for many purposes. 1t is quite
unnecessary to do more than refer to
these points or to the universally adj
mitted advantages of the forests and
timber plantations in regard to climate
and water supply. All these things are
known and well understood. But they
are almost entirely ignored and
neglected and the positive necessity
for general action in regard to the
planting of waste lands with timber is
lost sight of in the noisy calls upon the
Government to step forward and "do
something" The old story of the cart
man whose cart was stuck in a mud
hole, and who called upon Jupiter to
get him out of his trouble, applies 20
this business. Farmers are the most
interested in this matter; they have
an abundance of waste land, or of land
tina, lies useless at present, that might
be very proftably planted with timber.
But because some other persons may
derive some benefit from the planting
of timber upon their lands and enjoy
some of the advantages with them of
it, this beneficial work is left undone.
A valuable lesson may he learned from
Nebraska in this regard. This young
Western State was almost wholly with
out timber: treeless waste of green
grass and blue sky which met at the
horizon all around the solitary traveller
who crossed its lonely prairies a dozen
or score of years ago. Ex-Governor
r. w. Furnas, one of the pioneers who
settled this State and have covered it
with fruitful fields, blossoming Or
chards and gardens and leafy groves,
was one of the first to arouse popular
favor in regard to tree planting, and it
was, we believe, during the administra-
ton of his government that Arbor Day
was established as public festival, Of
which the planting of trees was the
chief object This idea struck the
popular fancy, and it has spread into
other States, but flourishes most fruit
fully in its birthplace, so much so that
during 1884 the amount of tree plant
ing done consisted of 100000 cotton
woods, 1000 box elders, 100000 soft
maple, $500 ash, 10000 elm, IS, 900
sycamore, 225,000 other deciduous
trees, 1850 bushels of walnuts, $50
bushels of acorns and f25 pounds of
catalpa seed. At this rate of progress
Nebraska will soon be melodious with
the VARYING music of the forest and be-
come a place of woods and groves,
while elder States will have unclothed
themselves and lie bare and barren to
the winds and sun. All this has seen
done by private effort, stimulated by
an ambition and rivalry keenly sharp
ened by public spirit which has pre-
vaded all the people, until even the
children have their groves, planted by
tiny hands and nursed into growth by
generous care. Government has had
no hand in it. 1t is the outgrowth of
the true American idea of popular
sovereignty, and that what the people
want done the people must do for them
selves. If only the people most inter-
ested in other States would follow this
bright example all that the State Gov
ernments should do where there are
public lands would be quickly done.
and the remaining forests would be
preserved from the cruel axe and the
wasting fire.