The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-15
TALKS ABOUT TREES.

soil, and want of energy fails to stim- ulate the soil. It will take several gen erations to start and grow successfully forests throughout that portion of the country called the southwest"
 Illinois raises fine naples, white spruce, Norway pine, Australian To- cust, birch red hickory, bass wood, but ternut, red cedar arbarvita, balsam, fir, mountain ash, Balm of Gilead, red bud, chestnut, horse chestnut, and oak, The Osage orange tree, beech, also the ho- ney locust, and many other species of beautiful trees grow in that and sur rounding states.
 The trees do not differ much in four or five of the western states; all are ca pablo of producing many varieties of the most beautiful forests, and in some parts of the country-IoWa for instance the walnut and maple grow finely. 1 The oak, red ash, chestnut bass wood, butternut, Linden hackberrY, and To- cust are among the most beautiful va rieties of the forest trees.
 We might take the western states, one and all, and the forests are much alike in quality, but differ materially in quantity, as the trees that have been planted within the last quarter of a century suffered from many causes. The hard freezes in winter, and the borers have killed many of the hem lock and locusts and other trees; heat and continued drought have had a de- vastating influence on many of the in land forests. Those in the higher lati- tudes suffered from fires. The cotton wood and willows planted in certain localities die young. Locusts are de- stroyed by borers. The lack of care does much toward the destruction of the newly planted trees, The southern states are more fortunate in their an | cient forests than either the north or west. Many of the southern states can show their original forests. Boxing the timber for turpentine has been a, dis advantage to the pine growing regions, as it left them subject to forest fires which annually destroyed more than was cut for fuel or lumber Alabama, Mississippi Georgia, North and South Carolina are proud of their forest trees and are taking measures for having | them protected from fires and other destructive evils.
 Arizona and California may be count ed among the most fortunate states. | The timbers in Arizona are chiefly pure oak, walnut, and cottonwood. The pine | forests suffer from coal burners. But | the young growth takes the place of | the older forest trees. The use for fuel l in the smelling of one has been partic- ularly hard on the lumber regions. | Timber has been shipped to the Atlan- | tic states and the climate is such, that all kinds of forest trees might be raised | there in great quantities, and If prop erly cared for the whole country might l become covered with fine forest trees. South of the range of the Calabasa mountains the live oaks grow in luXu- riant beauty. Pines, spruce, redwood, and other trees flourish in great abun- | dance.
 In Arkansas, the yellow pine is one of the principal forest trees. Blacl; walnut, pecan, spruce, hemloc6, oaks, and other varieties of trees grow rap | idly. Much of the older growth has been cleared away for agricultural pur- poses; exhausted soils have caused the | indolent farmers to allow abundant fields to grow up with yellow pines The government should issue positive | orders to all states in the Union for | bidding needless waste of valuable for ests and thus preserve the trees from the ravages of careless men who need, lessly destroy the ancient trees.
 In some of the western states squat
 ters have, under the preteXt of home steadying, cut off the best of the forest
 trees. The most valuable lumber pines two hundred years old, some of then from three to five feet in diameter, ant
 from one hundred and fifty to one hun, | dred and seventy-five feet in neigh
 and straight as an arrow.
 In White county and adjoining coun,
 ties north of Little Rock, Arkansas
 more than five per cent. of the oak anc pine lumber has been cleared off ant
 there is, throughout the whole state, {
 grand variety of pine forest tree.
 which only need protection by state au |
 and beauty
 Colorado is another state rich in he
 forestry. Along the Rio Grande tho
 forests are rapidly decreasing beneatl
 the careless hands of men who thinl
 more of the almighty dollar than tn,
 future prosperity of the nation, and tn,
 wants of coming generations. Tn
 growing desire to protect what is lef
 and replacing that cut off with nev
 and different variety of trees will il
 time fill up the waste places. But th'
 young trees will cut a sorry figure il
 place of the old trees.
 It is a we'll known fact (and much tt
 be regretted) that many portions O
 Colorado, the counties of Lawrence
 Bowlder, Jefferson, Fl Paso, Lake Parl
 and Chaffee, the forests have beel
 stripped of three-fourths of their flores
 trees for lumber. The lumber growing
 around and on the mountain regions |
 spruce and pine. The smelters ant
 miners have been destructive agents o
 evil to the grand old forests of Colo
 radO, and the same may be said of Cal
 ifornia's treasure chambers. They hay
 been opened by robbers who hav
 greedily despoiled her of her gold ant
 other precious metals. and rudel!
 stripped her of her forest mantle t,
 carry. away their spells.
 l Coming to our northern states w
 find still greater destruction among
 e, -f-A II.