New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-23
TREE PLANTING IN THE VEST
1T HAS GREATLY wIDENED THE RAIN BELT AMI
MADE THE AMERICAN DESERT FERTILE.

Denver, CoL Dec o0.-One Of the local papers
some time ago published the following item
There has been entire failure Of crops in western
Nebraska Kansas since the big drouth OF issU
states have been parched more than once
The reason for this is found In very general
tree planting This has been one OF the annual laoors
Of the settler Of the plains, and as result The
rain belt has been steadily extending further west
with each succeeding year. Where once the sand
hills were given up TO the gopher and 1aokraooits'
are now seen cosey farm-houses, fields Of growing
grain and herds Of cattle fatening for the Eastern
markets The westward progress Of tho rain limit
the imaginary boundary of tho region within winch
falls sufficient rain to sustain vegetation ana peyohu
which even cattle find scanty picking-has been so
marked that IL is almost possible TO trace each year
march, Already three fourths Of the vast region has
been covered, and another decade VIII nave seen
the last of the Desert under CULTIVATION
The extent to which trees have been planted on
the plains is easily observable along any OF the rail-
roads Leaving Omaha or Kansas City, over the
Union Pacific for Denver one sees through the rohH
country extending halfhundred or more miles back
from the Missouri the streets OF the little towns lned
with rows Of shade trees and looking cool and invung
Each farmhouse has It's grove OF cottonwood, maple
or walnut trees hard by The lanes about the house
are lined with trees and frequently there are rows OF
trees all around ten, twenty forty acre lots Then
every little stream or spring is made TO furnish nour-
shment to other which line its banks In places.
acres upon acres Of young trees are planted In long
rows, traversed by bitches supplied with water fum
a nelghboring stream, by the friendly aid OF WIND
mill, or where practicable, by part OF the stream
Itself turned aside Further west the number OF trees
seen is less and less and finally there is nothing but
a waste Of barren land Not a tree is In sight, not
even a scrubby cottonwood, except right on the banks
OF the sandy streams
Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas have over
come the lack Of rain great extent, by systems OF
irrigation Great bitches extending from away up
among the mountains west OF Denver convey water
out over the plains and wherever the system OF lrfl
cation extends the desert is made to blossom. The
change from the desert the irrigated district is even
more striking here than when entering the rainbelt.
for In the latter the change comes gradually. I'm
fortunately the supply Of water is limited, and barely
sufficient TO supply the districts already established.
whio there is a demand for water from large
outlying country. A movement is on foot IN obtain
ongrcssional aid in establishing storage Reservoirs
But with the rapid western movement OF the rain belt
and the increasing mall I'm the vicinity OF tho noun
tains, II Is question whether the expenditures OF
millions on irrigation for western Kansas ana Ne
braska would be a prof able investment. sun IT
would omen up hundreds OF thousands OF acres OF land
untllabe. But Dei"cch nature anu lVl w.
II will not be long before the last vesge oi The Great
American Dc,eItH disappears, suppahled by region
of unsurpassed fertility