Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-19
THE TIMBER CULTURE Law

The State horticultural society OF
Nebraska, at its recent session, adopted
n resolution urging that the timber
culture law DO allowed to remain in
force. This action was taken in view
of the reported fact that certain west
ern congressman are disposed to favor
the repeal OF the law, on the ground
hat in a very large area east OF the
Rocky mountains it is practically inn
possible to raise trees, and that those
who had entered timber claims are
trying TO perform the impossible. A
colnmuni cation was read to the So
ciety in which it was stated that while
it is true that many people have filed
on timber lands and expended con-
siderable money without meeting with
encouraging success, what had been ac-
complished under the operation of the
law had justified the wisdom Of its en-
actment. 1t was suggested that the
difficulties complained of are almost
wholly due to ignorance of the proper
methods OF tree planting and to bad
selections OF varieties, experience hav-
ing demonstrated that there is very
little area east Of the Rocky noun
tains in which. forest trees can not be
raised with less moisture than is re-
uuired for raising corn. On the high
and dry table lands of western Ne
braska and eastern Colorado, where
moisture had not penetrated more than
eighteen inches and the annual rainfall
did not exceed eight inches, there has
been excellent success, it was claimed,
in growing trees. All the testimony
| presented was in favor of allowing the
law to remain, and the society recorded
its opinion that the difficulties OF raising
timber IN any portion of the public do
main east Of the Rocky mountains are not
~insuperabIe when met by painstaking
and thoroughwork and judicious selec-
ton of varieties.
So far as Nebraska is concerned, it
was said that the timber culture law
has been highly beneficial, the state
mentb being made that there has an nu-
ally been planted on timber claims in
| this state fifty million trees. What
proportion Of this planting has
amounted to anything, however, was
not shown, though this is obviously a
mattero Of prime Importance in cOnsid-
ering the merits of the law. 1t was
conceded that the law needs
amendment, so that it's re quire-
ments and conditions shall be more in
accord with the original intent OF the
act. The truth is that the timber cul-
ture law was conceived in the interest
of jobbers to open the way to n long list
of false timber claims, and it has very
largely resulted in doing this. But if
this were not SO there is no necessity
for the timber culture law any longer,
for the reason that the majority OF those
who really want land to till have
secured it, and those who now seek
to procure land under this law,
instead of acquiring it under the legiti-
mate way of homesteading it are doing
so under false ~pretenses. The only way
for the government to promote timber
culture is to give a bonus for the pro-
duction OF timber under the homestead
act. The present timber culture law is
not what the people want, the horticul-
tural society to the con Srary notwith-
StandlnRs
We do not Hquestion the sincerity of
the members OF the society in this
matter, but most of them live in the
eastern section of the state, where there
has been no homesteading for many
years, and while they know a great
deal about flowers and posey gardens
they have too little knowledge of the
p%rivations and abuses under the timber
culture law to give their opinion on this
subject any authority or value.