The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-17
RAILROAD-TIE NURSERY.
: KANSAS ARTIFICIAL PLANTATION
OF FOREST TREES.
One-Fourth Planted with Ailantfius and
the Rest with Cata1pa-Three Million
Trees in Full Growing vigor-TIss Hi3
OF the Tree Planter.

Hon r. W. Phipps, forestry commissioner
Of Ontario has been spending several months
in the United States, visiting the principal
nurseries of fruit trees and the estates on
which much attention has been given to cult
waiting trees for timber and fuel. In letter
from southern Kansas to The Toronto Globe
he writes: "One railroad board here, know
ing that the growing Of wood, when set about
in earnest, is neither slow nor difficult task,
has established in Kansas the largest artificial
plantation OF forest trees in North America.
These railway gentlemen themselves geve out
tie contract for planting over q square mile
Of land with young saplings of the catalpa
and ailanthus; and their president, observing
the success of their experiment, and impressed
with its probable excellent financial results,
has had planted at his own expense, as a
speculation, as much more. These are
situated near the little town of darlington,
Kan.
These plantations, now bare OF leaves,
stretch far over the undulating prairie, in
full view of the town.. In summer their wide
spread surface Of broad-leaved and pale green
foliage forms one of the most beautiful sights
of ali this country. At proper intervals car
rage roads are left through them, and as it IS
days drive to examine them well, we OBJ
tain carriage and horses and commence our
observations. The different sections have
been planted, it appears, respectively, two,
four and six years ago. About one-fourth is
planted with the aiianthus, the rest with the
catalpa, and q few, perhaps thousand trees,
of the white ash. The first planted are now
about twenty five feet in height, the last
about twelve Some of the taller are seven
inches through the stem. The first seedlings
We're brought from Illinois by ths carload
the rest grown III seed-beds here.
EXTENSIVE MASSES OF YOUNG TREES
IN, Oh %
fnll growing vigor on these plantations, this
calculation leaving out few on some small
portions of poor land, which are not flourish
ing SO well, but will yet be good trees in time
Ali Were planted four feet apart each way to
shade the ground, but eight feet is tine ulti-
mate intention. which viii allow three-fourtLs
OF the trees to be cut out, thing which can
well be done when they are fit for fence-posts,
say seven to nine inches through, or, if re-
quired, they can stay even longer without in
juring the plantation. When rather larger
it is expected the trees will give excellent rail
road ties and at their fuller growth of fifteen
or twenty years they will supply very valua-
bic timber for cabinet work and house build
ing. Those who have only seen the original
forest, with its trees growing at hap hazard
here and there, little ones and big, have but q
very vague idea of the large amount of wood
these closely planted groves can spare in their
process OF growth.
This process, partly natural, is also by the
art Of the planter rendered partly mechanical
Extensive masses of young tress planted in
this manner are restricted to but one method
of advancement-the endeavor to throw cut
masses of leaves to the light and cir of the
upper surface The lower branches, hidden
in shade, rapidly die and fall TO the ground,
and the plantation becomes multitude Of
long, straight stems, full of life and vigor,
but only spreading into branch and foliage at
the summit If q tree in youth be crooked it
straightens itself, if thus surrounded, as it adj
vances in height. One acre so growing win
give of wood, which is all the better taken,
quite number Of cords yearly till all the
superfluous trees be gone. On each acre here
there at 1000 more trees planted than will
ultimately be allowed to attain full growth.
There will be left, perhaps, 9oo, 600 to come
to maturity, and as these, as well as being
very useful timber, are fast-growing trees,
the profits seem likely to be very large
Philadelphia Record.