Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07
TREES ON THE PRAIRIES.
Small Results From the Efforts Made
by the Government.

by the Government.
c. NJ. Harger in the New York Independent.
The enc theory of all others that was
favorite a few years ago was one settihg
forth that tree planting on the western
prairies would materially and speedily In
crease the rainfall and make agriculture
profitable in regions where, Under existing
conditions, it was manifestly out of the
q, estion. Growing from this idea came the
tree claim" provision for settlers on gov
eminent lsIds, by which the dweller on GER
tain quarter-sectionS was given clear
ps tent to the same upon showing that ne
had succeeded IN cultivating and keeping
alive fixed number of trees, which were
a matter of proof for the United states
registers office.
Tree ella ms are practically a thing of the
ps ST. To be sure, there are many thou
saEds of acres in the west not yet filed
lpcn by claim seekers; but they are Tor
the most part the refuse odds and ends OF
rough ground, cut up by rav.nes or married
by sand or rocks, and so made undesirable
for the settler. Very few tree-claim papers
have been filed in the past half dozen years.
compared with the thousands that were
started during the eighties.
Final proofs are not yet made on all the
claims, however, and on some will never
be. The tree-claim provision was open to
the gIossest abuse because of the COLLISION
o. government agents. and witnesses. The
neigh bors OF the settler who had tried his
best to keep a thousand trees alive until
the end CT a certain period were not likely
to report i'm If he was few score short.
The kind OF tree chosen was usually the
cottonwood. a variety utterly worthless
for anything except Indifferent shade and
very poor firewood. But the cottonwood
IL rived fairly we'll on the high uplands and
grew rink and strong on the bottoms.
Hence it became a favorite; and when the
claim was proved up" and a title secured,
it quickly went stoveward in the settlers
cabin. The upland tree claim in western
Kansas and Nebraska is pitiful, consider
ed as climate modifier or even as land
scape beautifier.
The promised climate changing has never
been perccptible. This year western Kan
and parts of western Nebraska have
raised good crops, but it has been an ex-
ceptional record The rains came oppor-
lost faith in the return of sufficient mois-
ture. But not the most ardent advocate
of the tree theory claims that the scattered
patches CT starved saplings dottng here
and there the level prairies have had the
slightest influence upon climatic conditions.
Further cast the prairies better re-
suits have been obtained. The eastern two
thirds Of Kar sas and Nebraska show many
well-shaded homes. and long rows of box
elders and cottonwoods along the road
ways. Some, and, indeed, most, of the
cities are becoming like forests, so high
above the housetops are extending the
tire es planted ty the ambitious home own
erS. The towns situated on the bottom
Lar DIS have the advantage here also, and
there is a decided difference noticeable
to their condition, compared with places
on the upland hills. In the latter the trees
locked starved. weak and of slow growth.