The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-01-22
Aemorrat- Star.
TREE PLANTATIONS.
Description Of a RailrOad.Tie Nur-
sery in Kansas.

Hon. II. w. Phelps, Forest,
Commissioner of Ontario, has beef
spending several mouths in th
United States, visiting the prinei
pal nurseries of fruit trees and th,
estates on which much attention
has been given to %cultivating tree,
for timber and fuel. In a letter
from Southern Kansas to the To
rontO Globe he writes:
One railroad board here, know.
ing that the growing OF wood, when
set about in earnest, is neither II
slow nor difficult task, has estab.
lished in Kansas the largest arti.
fetal plantation of forest trees in
North America. These railway
gentlemen themselves gave out the
contract for planting over a square
mile OF land with young saplings of
the catalpa ailanthuS; and their
President, observing the success
of their experiment, and impressed
with its probable excellent results,
has had planted at his own ex-
pcnse, as n speculation, as much
more. These are situated near the
little town of Darlington, Kan.
These plantations, now bare OF
leaves, stretch far over the undu.
lating prairie, in full view of the
town. In summer their widespread
surface of broad-leaved and pale
green foliage forms one of the most
beautiful sights IN all this country.
At proper intervals carriage roads
are left through them, and as it is
a days drive to examine them well,
we obtain a carriage and horses
and commence our observations.
The different sections have been
planted, 1T appears, respectively,
two, four and six years ago. About
ohe-fourth is planted with the all
anthus, the rest with catalpa, and
few, perhaps a thousand trees OF
the white ash. Those first planted
are now twenty-five feet in height
the last about twelve. Some of the /
taller are seven inches through I
the stem. The first seedlings were |
brought from Illinois by the car. /
.oad-the rest grown in seed beds
here. There are in all about three |
millions of trees in tull growing
Vigor OIL these plantations this cal :
leaving out a few on some
PORTIONS of poor land, which are .
lot fourishing SO we'll, but will yet =
good trees in time. All were
planted four feet apart each way to =
ihade the ground, but eight feet is
he ultimate intention, which Will
How three fourths OF the trees to
re cut out, "a thing which can well
70 done when they are fit for fence
'ostS, say seven 10 nine inches
trough; or, ifrequired, they can
tay even longer without iniuring L
ne the plantation. When rather
lrser it is expected the trees will
i've excellent railroad ties, and
t their fuller growth of fifteen or !,
wenty years they will supply
cry valuable timber for cabinet
'Ork and house building. K.
Those who have only seen the p
forest, with its trees grow
lg at hap hazard here and there, 10
tile ones and big, have but Il very "
lSue idea OF tue large amount of Fl,
God these cloScly-planted groves
III Sparein their process of growth. iu
his process, partly natural, is also -
y the art of the planter rendered =
mechanical. Extensive mass. y
of young trees planted ia this -
amer T restricted to but one
ethod of advancemeut-the en-. In
FAVOR TO throw out masses of ut
to the light and air of the
)per surface. The lower branch
!, hidden in shade rapidly die and oi
IL to the ground, aud the planta- Gin
On becomes a multitude OF long, -
stems, full of lite and Wig
d, but only, spreading into branch SIo
I'd foliage at the summit. If a RI
ee in youth be crooked it q,
itself, if thus surround, of
], as it advances in height. One tur
re so growing will give OF wood, a.
lich is all the better taken, quite Oh,
number of cords yearly, till all fac
70 supeIhuous trees be gone. i
each acre here there are 1000 -.
ore trees planted than will ulti- Ste
be allowed to attain fall II
owth. There will be left perhaps -,
5000 to come to maturity, and az
csc as we'll as being very useful cas-
nber are fast. oroWino trpas tho for