The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-06-28

any good farmer to buy intelligently
written books on forestry. Many trees
that would make fine timber become
worthless, or of little value, for lack of
attention when young, and during their
seasons of growth.
SPEAKING of transplanted trees, we
may say that we have some eight or
nine butternut trees grown from nuts
planted seventeen years ago, and trans
planted to their present location at one
year old, that have been bearing for
six or seven years their last crop be-
ing over two bushels. Yet these trees
were planted out on dry, sandy knoll,
where the sugar maple could not be
made to live without mulching; and
these butternuts stood still for two sea-
sons. Mulching heavily with bean
straw started both nuts and naples to
growing; and by keeping this up they
have maintained growth almost as
rapid as wild trees by the brookside;
and the nut trees came to bearing very
much sooner. Growth and fruitage are
to some extent antagonistic, and the
skillful planter must use his art to
reconcile the two. In another place
we reprint an interesting article on this
subject from the Maine Farmer. This
account of the growth of entirely neg
lected forest trees ought to open many
eyes to what can be done in forests
having intelligent care and proper SUI
pervision.
Perhaps we should here note,-
though it goes as matter of course in
a thinking head,-that yard and road
side trees will grow much faster than
trees in crowded forest. Trees are
vegetables, like beets and CARROTS
they must have room, to grow rapidly,
and acquire size. But there are several
things to be considered in this connec-
ton. Builders, as rule, require long,
straight trees without knots,-that is,
without large side limbs; and yet with
out plenty of LEAKAGE and room for the
spread of roots, we cannot have rapid
increase in size of trunk. In forestry
these two needs have to be balanced
against each other, or compromised
with at different stages of growth. If
one goes into an untouched primeval
forest, like those of northern New
England, he will see at once that ma.
ture has exercised sort of selection.
A few trees have got ahead of the rest,
and made the valuable long and knot.
less trunks, while the rest of the
growth is, as it were, auxiliary to this
work, and of little value as timber.
When it comes to the matter of the ar.
tificial planting of forests, nature has to
be followed as to the principles, while
art has to attend to the details. We
doubt if there are yet many farmers in
New England who would be able to
grow timber as business. Forestry
is an art in which nature teaches us.
but in which, like all apprentices, we
shall make good many mistakes in
trying to grow good merchantable tim
Der. If we were after fire-wood SIM
ply, the street tree method is perhaps
as good as any for bulk of material.
But for saw logs we must go to the
lumber woods to study natures own
methods of producing few good tim
Der trees to the acre, with many more
Of no use, save as guards and nurses to
the useful minority. To our younger
readers who have active and inquiring
minds, we suggest this as both an in
teresting and profitable study. The
time is not far off when competent
foresters will be able to command large
pay. Waste makes want; and the
great want will be for those who can
repair the waste.