The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-06-07
FORESTRY FOR FARMERS.
An Intelligent Estimate OF Varieties OF
Trees For Different Purposes.


An Intelligent Estimate OF Varieties OF
Trees For Different Purposes.
The high price which black walnut
lumber has brought for few years
has set the unthinking to planting it
largely. when in fact 1t is one of tho
poorest possible trees for general util-
ty. and on many soils is not a rapid
grower. The black walnuts now being
marketed at a price which makes
q single log pay for an acre of land.
were in the nut stage about the timo
the Pilgrims landed. and are materially
different in size and quality from the
spongy growth of thirty or even fifty
years. and the farmer who would dab
BILE in forestry for the benefit of the
next following generation can scarcely
do worse than plant the black walnut.
For the'snaaller uses of the farm-such
as handles and whifiletrees-th shell
bark hickory is excellent 1t thrives
in many kinds of soil, and under culti-
walton will reach diameter Of five
inches. three feet from the ground. in
twenty years. from the seed. For
strength. elasticity and finish second
growth hickory excels any other known
wood. For the larger hardwood repairs
on the farm-such as wagon-poles and
reaches. levers, wagon and sled stakes
and doubletrees white ash is the
most desirable tree farmer can plant.
1t is rapid in growth and the wood is
tough. elastic and durable when
painted. 1t will sprout from the stump
after cutting. and thus indefinitely con-
tinue the plantation, once established.
1t seems to thrive ca ually well in clay
or gravely loan. and is read lily raised
from seed.
For fencing, there is no rapid-grow-
ing tree so good as the sweet American
chestnut. but it does not seem TO thrive
on prairie soils or heavy limestone
clays, its natural home being the sandy
ridges underlaid by conglomerate. Tho
durability of chestnut timber either in
or out of the ground is second only to
red cedar, and wonder that more
farmers do not start plantations of this
valuable wood. On farm near where
| live are chestnut rails still doing duty
in fence that were split in 1915; and
the other day i took out greenhouse
post of seco nd-growth chestnut that
had done service for eighteen years.
and for an ordinary fence / think it
would have lasted ten years longer.
In localities where the chestnut does not
thrive would plant the yellow locust.
which is so generally we'll known. The
only objection is its liability TO injury
by the borer, and have no doubt that
some means will be devised to head of
this pest, when there is general de-
mand for such remedy. For profit
other than its timber value | believe it
will pay to put out sugar-maple groves.
On good soils, if not planted too
close (say forty trees per acre),
trees will do to tap at thirty
years from planting, and probably
for 100 years thereafter. Toward tho
close Of the decade ending with 1860
there was quite boom in street-tree
planting throughout Northern Ohio,
and in some counties premiums were
offered by agri cultural societies for the
best row of twenty-five maple trees
planted by one individual. Many Of
these trees are now from twelve to
eighteen inches diameter, and on some
farms have been tapped three or four
times. When planted most Of them
were about one and one-half inches
and were taken from the
woods, the top being cut of at a suit
able height. Had smaller trees from
fencerow or nursery, with better roots.
been planted. probably nearly all would
have lived. instead of less than twenty
five per cent, and the trees would have
been rs large or larger now. Tho
maple is natural to dairy regions, and
in such sections young trees can gener-
ally be had for the digging. The plant
ing and stalking of few acres o pas
turc would cost but little. as it could DO
done in early spring. and the pasturing
value of the ground would be but
slightly impaired for at least two-thirds
of the TIME it would take to get tho
trees to a sugaring- producing age.
The most profitable part of many dairy
farms is the sugar-bush. the labor of
which is mostly performed when moth
ing else can be done, and it seems to
me that it would be wise to extend tho
maple orchard for the benefit of another
gencration.-L. B. Pierce, in NJ T.
Tribune.