The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-31
WOODLANDS.
Little Jsdieie.s Asseatiea WIN In
mepsely Increase Their value.

While we make great exertions to i'm.
prove our cultivated lands by the intro
duction of food-producing plants. and
by the destruction of all undesirable
plants, we make no effort to improve
the condition of our woodlands, but let
nature have her own way. If, by
chance, few seeds of an undesirable
tree find their way to desirable timber
Lot, they are permitted to grow, though
they may be of 3 character to crowd out
all the other more desirable trees. This
is q great wrong that ought to receive
immediate attention. That it should for
so long time have escaped the atten-
ton of farmers can only be accounted
| for by the fact that our country is COM
paratively new. and has been covered
by large quantities of good timber, and
that until within few years, oven in
| the older States, wood large enough for
| lumber has been cut and reduced to
ashes, to clear the land. While such q
state of things existed it was very nat
ural that no effort should be made to
encourage the growth of the better class
of trees, and discourage the growth of
the poorer. But now when We have
more cleared land than We need for
cultivation, and when we find ourselves
running short of many kinds of lumber.
aud st the same time Overrun with fire.
wood, we naturally turn our attention
to our woodlands to discover some way,
if possible, to so improve them as to
| turn the surplus firewoOd into valuable
timber, and thus, not only supply our
pressing wants, but at the same time
greatly increase the value, as well as
income of our farms.
The moment our attention is turned
to this subject we begin to realize how
great has been our neglect. and the
great loss we have already sustained by
permitting nature to have her own way.
What would be thought of a farmer who
should make no effort to destroy the
undesirable plants in his cultivated
fields, but let the thistles, milk weeds
and wild carrots to grow in quantities
sufficient to overshadow all desirable
plants? Would it not be said that such
farmer did not make the best of his
farm. in fact. that his farming must be
failure? Now the farmer who lets
nature take her course in the woods is
not much in advance of the farmer who
lets her take her course in the cultiva-
ted fields.
Since the general introduction of coal
fiEewood has become very cheap in COM
parison with the price of timber; for
while the price of timber has continued
to rise the price of firewood has re
manned stationary, or has dropped to
lower price; so that to-day. in all parts
of the State. the difference between the
price of trees that are only suitable for
firewood and those that are fit for tim
Der is so great that the farmer can not
spend his time TO more profit than in
assisting nature in filling his woodlands
with such trees as will make timber in
stead of firewood. At first thought this
NAV be considered to be work very
difficult to perform. but little investi-
CATION will show that with forethOught
the work is comparatively very trifling.
We can not change forest at once from
undesirable to DIES .rable trees. but it must
be the work of years. Our first efforts
should be to cut out all undesirable
trees that interfere with the desirable
ones, especially if they produce seed.
For example. when d pitch pine and q
white pine stand near each other. the
pitch pine should be cut and the white
pine left to seed the land. because. if
the pitch pine be left. all of the sur
rounding territory will in a few years
be covered with Seeding pitch pines;
but if only the white pine be left, then
the surrounding territory will be
covered with white pines. which are far
more desirable than the pitch pines.
There are many thousands of acres of
land. which are now covered with pitch
pines. that might have been covered
with white pines if our fathers had
spent few hours time on each acre.
in cutting the first Seeding pitch pines.
and setting in their places white pines.
A single white pine TO the acre is suf-
iicient to seed the whole land in few
years after it begins to bear seed. pro-
viding the undesirable trees be kept
down to give the young seedlings a
chance.
The chestnut tree is very desirable
tree to have in a timber lot. it makes
timber that commands ready market
ut good price wherever there is rail-
road. 1t will grow from seed in
twenty-five years large enough for rail-
road ties, and the stump will send up
sprouts that will grow very much more
rapidly than the seedlings, in this re-
Spect. it is better than the white pine;
therefore, wherever the land is rocky.
and so unit for cultivation that it is
to be kept continually in wood land, the
the chestnut is really the most profit
able tree. not excepting the white pine.
In deciding what trees to encourage
on any lot, there are many things 20 be
considered If the white pine grows
naturally and few large trees are
scattered over the land then it would
not be best to supplant them with
chestnut until one crop of pine was
obtained. then chestnut might follow to |
advantage, unless wien the pine was
cut it be found. as is often the case.
that young oaks were scattered over the |
land, ready to grow IS soon as let into
the sunlight then the oak should be
encouraged.
Before deciding what to cut, and |
what to encourage to grow. the value of
each kind of timber should be con-
sidered. In some localities the poplar |
commands a ready market at good
price. in other localities it rs almost |
worthless. As this is rapid growing
tree. where i, commands a good price
it should be encouraged. but where it
viii not, it should be cut when small to
leave room for better trees.
The white pine. chestnut. oak, wal
nut. hutternut. beech. spruce. hemlock
and maple are all valuable for tinib
in all of the settled portions of the