The St. Johns herald., 1889-05-02
Tree Culture on the Plains.

tons upon forestry subjects of impor tance to the Rocky Mountain region, arC solicited by Edgar T. Ensign, Pores Commissioner, Colorado Springs, Colo. who will endeavor to supply in part, a least, local demands for printed inform alton of this nature.
 There Is no better proof of the pudding than the eating. While people are debating what could and what could not be done, some GU. rious man will answer the question by trying.
 While some people contend that we cannot plant trees in the so-call- ed arid regions without irrigation, others have done it. am not famil- far with the locality from which l have the following report, but be- lieve that the section from which it comes has the reputation of belong ing to the district where irrigation for tree growth is considered ne cessity.
 Says MT. Charles Green of Le- Roy, Colorado: "I am located 8 miles north of the north line of Kansas and about 50 miles west of the east line of Colorado on the table lands, 15 miles south of the South Platte.
 I have planted in spring of 1887 Catalpa speciosa, Russian Mulberry, White Ash, Soft Maple and White Willow cuttings, all without irriga- tion, in new, unrotted sod. The losses during the first two seasons up to September l, 1888, were as follows:
 Out of145 Catalpls IS were dead, of60 Naples, one half succumbed the first season, but of the 30 left not more than ? died the second summer, of the 12 Mulberries only one was killed.
 The growth was very small ex cept of the willow cuttings, one of which making only a few inches the first season, but two feet the second season. Box Elder seed planted last February, very thick did well, making a growth of one to two feet, many nearly two feet. Ash has not done so we'll Some of my neighbors have tried Black Locust, which, in dry, gravelly soil much poorer than our average soil, made a fine growth. Black Wal nut seems to stand the climate well but grows slowly.
 What may be learned from this report is this: The kinds of timber tried, with the exception of ash, which is not fit for uplanc S. can be started in the region referred to without irrigation. The losses oc- cured not from an inherent incap- acity of the species to live under the local conditions, but from oversight or carelessness in handling the ma terial.
 It is not safe te generalize from this success iii the first two seasons upon the further progress of plan tation, unless regard has been had for the future in the first plan of planting. Such regard consists in the proper grouping of the various species, namely one of the kinds, which retains dense foliage under meath less densely foliage one such a combination would be the locust mixed with the shadier null berry or box elder; the soft maple with the catalpa. Only by such combination can we expect, that our plantations will progress satis- factorily through many seasons, the one kind supporting and aiding the other in maintaining favorable conditions-a shade ground, which prevents evaporation.
 "In union is strength"
 I should propose the following method of planting for the region in question, which I know is not or thodox, but yet having been advo-