The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-27
And the Delegates rendered Banque
by the Citizens of Austin at
the Driskill.
The visitors Highly Delighted with Aus
tin and Are Loud in Their Praises
of Her Hospitality.
MORNING SESSION.

citation met at III O'CLOCK IN Ine Hall
of Representatives, Mr.. J. G. Evans in
the Chair.
Prof. B. E. Fernow of Washington
City read an interesting and instruc-
tive paper on Forest Planting on the
Plains and Prairies. He showed a
diagram of machine for tree plant
ing invented by blacksmith who had
a tree claim, and had to plant
100000 trees to make his
claim good. 1t had been tested and
planted $4,000 to $4,000 seedlings in
day.
Prof. Fernow's paper explained the
causes of the treelessness of the great
central plains of the country, such as
deficiency of rainfall and consequent
aridness of such localities. Some
doubted the possibility OF supplying
forests without irrigation. He did not
share such doubts and believed that
original aridity alone accounts for the
condition in which the treeless plains
are found.
Where tree would perish a forest
may persist, and it is noticeable that
to some extent creates its own condi-
lions of existence. Experiment shows
that naked soil loses by evaporation
more than six times the amount Of
moisture which it would under the
shade of forest cover. Such cover
established, and the sweep of the
winds checked, the amount of water
available for the tree growth is in
creased in proportion. He cited sta
tistics of the Signal Service showing
the value of wind breaks.
Prof. Fernow concluded that it is
not deficiency of rainfall so much as
rapidity of evaporation, due to the
unchecked winds, that is detrimental
to plant growth on most parts of the
plains region. He recommended State
and general government aid so as not
to leave the work of forestry to the
pioneer, struggling to conquer single
handed these vast and fertile but
DRAMATICALLY ill favored regions. He
thought from experiments made with
the American spruce in Germany that
the Colorado species of the tree was
hardy and serviceable for forest pro-
duction.
State Commissioner Foster being
introduced said he had been i'm
pressed with the outlines as TO fores-
try conditions in Texas, alluded to by
Prof. Fernow. Mr.. Foster referred to
the questions of rainfall as affecting
forest growth in this State and gave
his views as to the causes of drouths
and floods as they operated and had
affected the plains and forests. He
asked Prof. Fernow if he thought the
mesquite would serve well for forest
reproduction here.
Prof. Fernow-It is not suitable,
being too light of foliage.
Mr.. Apologize took occasion to read
from an old book, "Arator, the Plow-
man." published in 1918 by John Tay-
lor, which had been handed to him by
Mai. Breckenridge of Austin, in which
the writer alluded to satisfactory ex-
periments he had made in first cover
ing the ground with cedar hedges and
following with fruit trees. ETC., as be-
ing serviceable for the fruit as well as
bases for forest production.
Business committees report was
presented and discussed.
The Association voted to go to Bur
net and Marble Falls and back to
Austin Friday and go to San Antonio
Saturday, thence to Galveston and
thence home by way Of Temple.
Mr.. Rice of Missouri read an elab-
crate report of the special committee
appointed to bring the question
better facilities and rates OF trans
portation by railroad to the attention
of Congress and the Interstate Com.
MERGE Commission. The report sug-
gests an elaborate schedule OF rates of
freights. Adopted.
Another report recommends that
the railroad companies be applied to
directly for better rates and facilities
for fruit shipments. Adopted.
Another report recommended that
the subject matter of the resolution
presented yesterday by Mr.. Elliott,
seeking governmental action to pre-
vent lraui by tee peddlers and nur-
sery agents, as the legislation pro,
posed had been decided to be uncon-
stitutional, and in fact noneffective
Adopted.
The Association adjourned till 2
p. m. for dinner, many of them join.
ing instead in lunch ala Nexicana
rendered them through the hospital
ity of Austin as a souvenir of their
visit to the Texas capital and pre-.
pared in the Brueggerhof building by
Austin ladies for the occasion.
The Association will visit Burnet
and Marble Falls and return tomor-
row, leaving Austin at 1880 in the
morning, the trip being a courtesy ex
tended without any charge by the
Austin and Northwestern Railway
Company and citizens of Burnet.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. Campbell Of Ohio read the T,
port of the Com mittee on Obituarie