The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-10-29
EASY TREE-PLANT,NG.
Raising Forest by Sowing Seeds of
Various Kinds of Trees Broadcast.
W;4b I,t+Io J1,,lk Al. ..a 1.e

With little doubt the most satisfac-
tory results in raising forest trees are
obtained by raising the trees in a
nursery on the farm or purchasing
them from reliable dealer, setting
them out at uniform distances in
straight rows and cultivating them till
they are of a size to occupy all the
ground. If one has but small amount
of land to devote to forest tree grow
ing, as all the land on the place is
quite valuable, this plan will be found
to be the most economical one. Trees
that are guilty: led make a much more
rapid growth than those that receive
no attention, and soon become valua-
bic 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 a considerable
number of acres of land in this way.
He has not the time to raise them in a
nursery, and he may not understand
how to properly manage iC He has
not the money to spare to buy young
trees from a 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
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 a
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 were 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 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 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 was
saved, as trees standing in a dense
mass ''shed'' their side branches when
they become of quite large size. Some
of the trees that make very rapid
growth afforded protection to those
that were not very hardy. These were
removed and used for fuel after the
more valuable trees became well es-
tablished and were able to take care of
themselves.
With some slight notifications
Evelyn's plan of raising forest might
doubtless be followed 10 excellent adj
vantage in most parts CT the West. 1t
would probably be better to plant
large nuts in the burrows as the land
was plowed so as to insure their being
covered deeply. The smaller seed should
be sown broadcast, and covered with
a harrow. 1t might be practical to
put them it with a grain drill, the
openings of the different discharge
pipes being adjusted to the size of the
seed to be dropped. An artificial for
est containing a large variety of trees,
scattered about promiscuously, would
present u very beautiful appearance,
and would be mistaken for the natural
forests, that are vastly more attractive
than any park or grove obtained by
setting few kinds of trees in rows.
Observation shows that the most valu-
able forests are those that contain
many varieties of trees. 1t is with
trees as with grasses the greater the
variety the larger the production.
Some trees send their roots directly
downward while others spread their
roots very near the surface of the
ground. The two kinds can grow on
the same land without detriment to
each other. Some quick-growing trees
are OF great value in protecting those
that can not bear exposure to the sun
and wind while they are small and
tender.
After the trees obtained by the
method of planting above suggested
are two or three years old it will be
time to consider the propriety of thin
ming them out. If there was a good
"catch'' many of them could be re-
moved to obvious advantage All the
oaks, beeches, walnut and hickory
trees might be allowed to remain.
They are difficult to transplant, and
quite too valuable to be subjected to
risks. Many kinds of seedlings can be
pulled up when the ground is soft
without using spade, which might in
iure the roots of other trees. Then
trees could be transplanted into
nursery rows, set out SO as to form
shelter belts or disposed of to neigh
pors. In all parts of the West there is
large and growing demand for forest
trees, and planters generally desire to
obtain them as near their places as
possible. If they can obtain them in