Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-07
PLANT TREEs.-

;; PLANT TREE&.-
Considerable has been written on
Kansas climate and hot winds and the
cause of hot winds, and the summing
up of the most of the articles. if not all
of them. has been the treeless condi-
tion of our prairies produce these life
destroying winds.
I Iintimated in a former article that
we should have a remedy rather than
the causes, but it is well to have the
causes; diagnose the case, then pre-
scribe the remedy, but let it not end
there. Prescribing Il remedy will not
have any effect upon the disease un-
less the remedy is applied. So in re-
gard to the remedy against hot winds.
We know the cause and we have the
remedy prescribed. Why not apply ity
Plant trees.
There has been much said of the good
results of Arbor Day, and we all read
with delight of the good work, but why
not practice it right ut home?
It no doubt looks like weak effort
for an individual to make an attempt
to change the climate of this great state;
and so it is, too, when we look at 1t
from that standpoint of an individual,
but when we join hands in the. work,
and go at it unitedly, and as a body,
then it is that it will tell.
1t appears that it should be evident
to every Kansan in the western half OF
the state that tree planting has two
fold significance. First the benefit in
the way of posts and fuel, and second.
to temper and cool the atmosphere.
In regard to the first, we would say
that every farmer can put out an acre
of timber each spring at an actual
cost of not to exceed 81 in cash and a
days work for team and two men.
This would in FIVE years makes
growth sufficient to keep any farmer in
fuel during the year and have a con.
siderable quantity of timber left. We
have such illustrations in our midst,
and then we have many more who have
not trees enough to shade their yards
during hot summer day.
It is not, difncult to decide which
place would be preferable, the one with
a five-acre grove or the one with no
trees, even at price higher for the one
with trees. This raising groves for
ones self is entirely selfish, yet all
right, and will have the effect of the.
second part of this subject, viz: temper
ing the atmosphere. and as such be-
comes a general good.
We have had All illustration here this
summer which has concluslvely proven
the benefit of even small grove.
This grove was half mile in length,
east and west, and about twenty rods
wide, north and south. The road lead
ing along the north side of it was fire.
quently muddy after rain and always
remained so for some time, while any
where else the roads were dry and
hard. The corn field Immediately across
the road was noticed for its luxuriant
growth of stalk, and at husking time
returned good crop to the owner.
The land on which this corn grew was
heavy soil, such soil rs produced no
corn at all this year, and fields adjacent
thereto were barren of ears. So much
for the benefit of timber. Now, know
ing the benefits which come from tim
ber.planting, we think we should plant
abundantly.
We would suggest that there should
be forestry organizations in each one Of
the central and western counties, and
that this subject should be strongly
agitated and an effort made to have
premiums of various amounts offered
to parties putting out trees, and in this
way stimulate this subject until we
have every man worked up to the
necessity of the h0ur.-A. G.. Lands,
in Kansas Farmer
G. I'll l. L.