The Forrest City times., 1892-02-05
THE FARM AND HOME.
HINTS ON THE STARTING OF
 A TIMBER PLANTATION.
Growing Trees From seed-koads anu Road Making--How to Make swiss Cream Cheese--The Pig Pen
 and House Hints.
HOW ,o star. in Timber Growing.

How to start In Timber Growing.
 To most farmers the starting of timber plantation seems a difficult un- dertaking. but 1 have found 1t slm- ple matter, so far as l have had ex- perience. and will tell just how I go about it writes Waldo F. Brown in the Country Gentleman.
 have only grown three kinds of seedlings-locust catalpa ana soit maple, but think that many other kinds could be grown from seed as easily. Different kinds Of tree seeds will require different treatment and if one is to become a good forester he will need to study and experiment with seeds of many varieties of trees If nuts are to be planted they must be gathered in the fall and kept moist through the winter and some. If not all of them. require freezing. Locust seed must be scalded to insure 1t to grow. The seed is shaped like clover seed, but is about as large as radish seed. and exceedingly hard. so that it is almost impossible to bite one Of them open. do not use water quite at the boiling point for scalding It but pour pint of cold water into teakettleful which is boiling. and then pour the water over the seed in a tight vessel, and let it stand till 1t cools when part of the seed will be swollen to about four times the natu- ral size. Usually it will be less than one fourth, and often not more than tenth of the seed that swells from the first scalding. The swollen seeds must be separated from the other seed, hot water applied to the rest of the seed a second time and often 1 find it neces- sary to apply the hot water as many As five or six times before all the seed will swell.
 This swollen seed grows as readily as corn. and comes up as quickly. The best time to plant is early in May. and if the weather should be unfavorable for planting when the seed is pre- pared it can be kept for week or more by spreading it an inch thick on the cellar bottom. and covering it with damp cloth. A spot of rich clean land should be selected on which to SOW the seed. It should be covered about an inch deep. and the rows should be far enough apart to admit of the use of the cultivator The young plants should be thoroughly worked all summer, and If not too thick in the row they will grow to the height of three feet or more. and de- velop large roots. You may leave four to SIX plants to the foot of row.
 These seedlings should always be transplanted to the plantation at one year old. Flow and harrow until the land is in good order then with two horse blow open furrow where the row Is to stand; this furrow ought to be deep and wide enough so that no hole need be dug but the tree simply held upright in the furrow. while the earth is drawn to the roots. With a boy to hold the tree and two men. one with a hoe and the other with light shovel. if the land is in good or der, two thousand or more can be set out in day. 1 spent a good deal of labor in pruning the first groves I planted. but have since found that 1t was labor worse than wasted. for when planted close. as they should be. so as to shade each other the side branches die and drop of. leaving much smoother trunk than if they are cut of when green This applies to the locust, but am not sure that it would to naples. The plantation should al- ways be cultivated for one year and unless the trees spread so that the thorns are in the way it is better to do 1t two years, and 1 would advise this with maple groves.
 It is good plan if you find the trees are not starting up with good shaped trunks to cut them back to the ground one or even two years after planting. and then they will be well rooted and will throw up q straight vigorous shoot In most neighborhoods the spare naples which are taken out in thinning, can be sold for shade trees for more than enough to pay the entire expense of the plan tation. have utilized row of locust trees fifty rods long along the south side of a permanent pasture field for a fence. These trees were set out in 1881, and for six years past by use of single wire and some hedge brush. have made a perfect fence to turn horses and cattle, and some of the trees are now large enough to split into two good posts. and still cut another from second cut The trees were set four feet apart but if l were putting out single row again would set them two feet apart.
 The soft naples are grown in the nursery the same as the locust but the seed is to be planted as soon as gath cred. The soft maple seed ripens about the middle of May. and as soon as it begins to fall may be planted. and comes up at once.
 Roads and Road Making.