Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-04-27
TREE CULTURE ON THE PLAINS.
By B. E. Fernow, Chief of Forestry Divis-
 ion, Department of A Agriculture.

@-@b O-
 NoTE-Brief articles and communication upon forestry subjects of importance to the Rocky mountain region, are solicited by Edgar T. En- sign, forest commissioner, Colorado, Springs, Colo, who will endeavor to supply, in part at least, local demands for printed information of this nature.
 There is no better proof for the pud- ding than the eating. While people are debating what could and what could not be done, some curious man will answer the question by trying.
 While some people contend that we cannot plant trees in the so-called arid regions without irrigation, others have done it. 1 am not familiar with the locality from which 1 have the following report, but believe that the section from which it comes has the reputation of belonging to the district where irrigation for tree growth is con sidered a necessity.
 Says MT. Charles Green of LeRoy, Colorado: "I am located 35 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 the 1887 Catalpa speciosa, Russian Mulberry, White Ash, Soft Maple and White Willow cuttings, all without irriga- ton, in new, unrotted sod. The losses during the first two seasons up to Sep tember l, 1888, were as follows;
 Out of IA Catalpas, IS were dead :; of 60 Naples, one-half succumbed the first season, but of the 30 left not more than ? dled the summer; of the 12 Mulberries only one was killed.
 The growth was very small except of the willow cuttings, one of which making only a few inches the first season, but two feet the second sea- son. Box Elder seed planted last February, very thick, did well, mak- ing growth of one to two feet, many nearly two feet. Ash has not done so well. Some of my neighbors have tried Black Locust, which, in dry, gravelly soll, much poorer than our average soil made fine growth. Black Walnut seems to stand the climate well, but grows slowly.
 What may be learned from this re- port is this; The kinds of timber tried with the exception of ash, which is not fit for uplands, can be started in the region referred to without irri- gation. The losses occI not from an inherent incapacity of the species to live under the local conditions, but from oversight or carelessness in hand ling the material.
 It is not safe to generalize from this success in the first two seasons upon the further progress of the plantation unless regard has been had for the future in the first plan of planting Such regard consists in the the proper grouping of the various species, name ly one sof the kinds, whicla retains 6 Iienso foliage underneath a less densely foliaged one such combina ton would be the locust mixed with the shadief mulberry or box elder rthe soft maple with the catalpa. Only by such combination can we expect that our plantations will progress sat isfactorily through many seasons, the one kind supporting and aiding the other in maintaining favorable con ditions-a shaded ground, which pre- vents evaporation.
 "In union is strength!
 I should propose the following method of planting for the region il question, which 1 know is not ortho dox, but yet having been advocated by me three or four years ago has beer tried with success in western Nebras ka.
 Break the sod and harrow it fin, with dish harrow in spring, as sool as the soil is workable. Plant tree at once in trenches feet apart, leav } ing the rest of the soil undisturbed. II thls manner you avoid drying out tn soil, into which the plants are set providing mulch by the harrowe' sod, avoiding the growth of weeds dur ing the first season at least, and catcl ing the lailing rains in the trenche where it Is most needed. Do not cul tivate between the rows, unless absC lutely necessary.
 1 should add to the desirable kind to be tried in the region and one tha is good shader and rapid grower tn Wild Black Cherry (Pruns serotina.) B. E. FERNOw, Chief of Forestry Division, Depar : ment of Agriculture.