Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-03
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR
RURAL READERS.
Some information vi Value to the Farmer,
stock-Ereeder, Bee-Keeper, Housewife
and Kftchen-AGafd.
THE FARM.
FueI for the Plains.


MaEin Allen, addressing the Kansas
Board Of Agriculture, says: To grow
actual trees to cut and split into stove
wood of the Middle States takes time
for which We cannot wait; or, at best,
by beginning now, we can only hope to
obtain this result as q luxury for our
children. After some thought and con-
siderable solicitation in my mind in be-
half of these people on the plains and
what they were to do for fuel, blum
dered upon an idea that trust may be
Of some value to them. It is a scheme
to grow annual crops of actual fire wood.
For this purpose let an acre or SO of the
best and most productive land on each
farm be selected; if in the sharp bend
Of some small stream, rayine, or even
canon, all the better. Let it be put in
good state of cultivation, and planted
with yearling ailantus trees, four or five
feet apart each way, and let them be
we'll and thoroughly cultivated, as a crop
OF corn or potatoes ought to be, or let
the whole be mulched sufficiently we'll
to keep down all weeds. At the close
of the first years growth, or least before
the second one begins, cut all down
close to the ground, and continue the
cultivation or mulehing, whichever is
most, desirable to the owner. If the
ground is to thin, put on plenty of ma
nure; If too dry, and located on such q
bottom as mentioned above, it may be
helped by an overflow of water from a
dam across the water-course.
The second year after planting, three
or more stalks may be expected to grow
from each plant or hill, and they should
be from the size of broom handle to
that of q fork handle, OF, under the
most favorable circumstances, even
much larger. These may all be cut off
in the fall, winter, or early spring
only to be followed by another crop of
the same sort each succeeding year.
These annual growths are easily and
rapidly cut into suitable lengths for
use in the stove, and will be found not
equal to the best split hickory, beach,
or hard maple, but very fair firewood,
far outranking cottonwood, elm and all
other soft woods and containing no
small brush.
The semi tropical foliage of this tree
is quite pleasing to the eve. 1t is per-
fectly at home so far as the hot sun
shine and the other vicissitudes of our
climate during the summer months are
concerned, and it is withal free from all
insect pests. 1t does not, however, al
ways endure our severest winters, and
therefore when wanted for permanent
tree 1t should be planted on less fertile
soil, or the culture and manuring be
less generous than when the annual
crop of firewood is the end to be OBJ
tanned.
This tree is easily grown from the
seed without preparation, and should
be planted about the time of planting
corn in well-prepared ground. 1t can
also be grown with much facility FROM
root-cuttings. Let no one attempt to
grow it on the sod, or on ground that
will produce nothing else, for in such
case l am sure my scheme would be
about as much of failure as a hill of
corn or potatoes would under like con-
ditions.