Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-11-18
EASY TREE-PLANTlNe.
taising Forest by Sowing Seeds Of
Various Kinds of Trees Broadcast.


With little doubt the most satisfac.
DRY results In raising forest trees are
obtained by raising the trees in a
nursery on the farm or purchasing
hem from a reliable dealer, setting
hem ont at uniform distances in
straight rows and cultivating them till
hey arc of size to occupy all the
ground. II one has but small amount
Of land to devote to forest tree grow
ng, as all, the land On the place is
quite valuable, this plan will be found
20 be the most economical one. Trees
hat are cultivated make q much more
rapid growth than those that receive
40 attention, and soon become. valua-
ole for fuel and timber. A poor
farmer, however. who has his place to
improve, If not pay for. can not ordi-
narily afford to plant considerable
number of acres of land in this way.
tie has not the time to raise them in
nursery, and he may not understand
how to properly manage it. He has
not the money to spare to buy young
trees from nurseryman or to pay
freight on them If they are brought
from distance on cars. As rule he
has no time in the spring to set out
trees, and none in the summer to de-
vote to their cultivation. He is gen.
orally obliged to keep himself, hands
and teams at work on crops that will
be needed by his family and stock, or
which can be disposed of in the market.
Evelyn, who wrote on forest-tree
growing hundred years ago recon-
mended an easy way of obtaining a
forest which is worthy the attention of
all who are improving farms ON the
prairies. He stated that he obtained
most excellent results by practicing
method that involved no expense ex-
cept for seed. The land selected for
producing forest-trees was plowed deep
in the fall and again plowed in the
spring and narrowed in the usual man
ner. At the ordinary feeding time the
cones OF the pine, spruce, fir and hem
lock, acorns, beech-nuts and walnuts,
and the seeds of ash, maple and other
trees we're scattered broadcast over the
land. as is done in sowing small grains
Then oats were sown at the rate Of
from three pecks to bushel per acre.
The land was then we'll narrowed, so
as to cover the seed quite deep. This
was the beginning and the ending Of
the work necessary to produce q for
est. The oats, as might be expected.
terminated in good time and shaded
the ground. Some of the tree seeds
come up in few weeks, others in the
course of month, while some of them
did not terminate till the next year.
The oats shaded the young trees and pre-
vented the growth of weeds. He found
that the young trees grew better among
the oats than they did on ground ex-
posed to the hot sun.
This old writer on forest-tree plant.
ing recommended cutting the oats
with sickle, the only way of harvest
ing grain then in use. At the present
time it would hardly pay to harvest a
crop of oats in that way, and there is
no occasion for doing it. BY raising
the cutting-bar of harvester they
could be gathered in the usual man.
ner. 1t would probably be better,
however, to allow the oats to remain
where they grew. The straw would
afford protection to the young trees
during the winter. If a volunteer
crop of oats appeared the next season
it would be of benefit to the young
trees, while it would help prevent
the growth of weeds. Evelyn allowed
all the trees that sprung from the seed
sown to grow, believing that the fittest
would survive and occupy the ground
BY having them stand close together
they grew tall and straight, and he OBJ
tanned large amount of wood on {
small area of land. Pruning wa,
saved, as trees standing in dense
mass "shed" their side branches wher
they become of quite large size. Some
of the trees that make very rapit
growth afforded protection to thos,
that were not very hardy. These wer,
removed and used for fuel after tn,
more valuable trees became well es
tablished and were able to take care o
themselves.
With some slight notifications
Evelyn's plan of raising forest nigh
doubtless be followed to excellent ad
vantage in most parts Of the West. I
would probably be better to plan
large nuts in the burrows as the Ian,
was plowed so as to insure their bein!
covered deeply. The smaller seed shoul,
be sown broadcast, and covered will
a harrow. 1t might be practical t,
put them it with a grain drill, tn
openings of the different discharg
pipes being adjusted to the size of tn
seed to be dropped. An artificial for
est containing large variety of trees
scattered about promiscuously, woul,
present very beautiful appearance
and would be mistaken for the natura
forests, that are vastly more attractiy
than any park or grove obtained b
setting few kinds of trees in rows
Observation shows that the most va,u
able forests are those that contain
many varieties of trees. 1t is wit
trees as with grasses, the greater tn
variety the larger the production
Some trees send their roots directl
downward, while Others spread thei
roots very near the surface of tn
ground. The two kinds can grow Of
the same land without detriment +
each other. Some quick growing tree
are of great value in protecting thos
that can not bear exposure to the SUI
and wind while they are small an
lender
After the trees obtained by tn
method of planting above suggeste
are two or three years old it will b
time to consider the propriety of 'thir
ming them out. If there was a goo
'catch" many of them could be r.
moved to obvious advantage. All tn
oaks, beeches, walnut and hickor
trees might be allowed to remain
They are difficult to transplant an
quite too valuable to be subjected [