Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26
MONEY IN TREE CULTURE.
Experiments Going Forward on Long
Island that Promise Well.

Island that Promise Well.
The owners of large tracts of land in tn,
vicinity Of Westbury, l.. l., are making
experiments in tree culture, says the Brook
lyn Eagle, and will redeem much of the
waste lands by planting them with valua
BILE timber. This has been found to be-
more profitable In the long run than per.
mitting the natural growth of cedars anG
pines to come up on the fields not cult
waited. 1t is well known fact that the lat,
Austin Corbin took a great interest in the
SUBJECT or tree culture and hoped in time e
induce the owners of the so-called barrens
to substitute valuable timber for the Shrul
oaks and pitch pines which now cover them
The chief obstacle in the way of the re-
demption OF the waste land was the fact
that 1t Is owned for the most part by men
who do not live on it, and who take little
or no interest in its development, except
as 1t may be cut up into building lots.
The abandoned lands in the more fertile
sections of the island are like waste lands
which have never been cleared up; they are
either owned by people who do not live on
them or by old men who are ending their
days in the homestead while the boys are
employed elsewhere. The rising generation
who alone is likely to take an interest in
crops that take thirty or even more years
to mature, has abandoned the old farms and
could hardly be induced to return under
any circumstances The lands are, however.
passing into the hands of wealthy men and
associations, who are acquiring large tracts
and converting them into plantations or
game preserves. These owners OF large
tracts have found that ordinary farming
lands on the north or south side of the
island, which may be. purchased at from
$25 to 500 per acre, may be made to pay a
good income upon the investment by tree
culture on large scale, besides affordinG
amusement as game preserves and golf
links
1t is estimated that there are 200, 900 acres
of waste, idle land on the island This
land receives no attention except the cut
ting oil OF the pine or oak timber growth
every thirty or forty years. considerable
proportion OF this land has been cleared
and cropped, but long since abandoned, be-
cause 1t would not pay for tilling, moving
or even fencing for pasturage. Much or
this land is covered with a scanty growth
of shrub oak, pitch pine or in the more fer
tile section with cedars and oaks, with oc-
casional chestnut. The natural growth is
usually cedar or pine, and 1t takes many
years for it to become of any considerable
value.
An experiment has been made at Brent.
wood to ascertain whether white pine, the
most valuable timber growth in New Eng
land, could be cultivated to advantage on
the plains OF Long Island The land was
plowed very deep and sowed with oats then
the seed of the white pine was sowed broad
cast over the surface at the rate OF two
quarts to the acre and narrowed in. The
planting of the oats with the pine seeds was
to protect the young plants from the sun
The seed came up all right, but the expert
ment was not success. The white pine
does not thrive under natural conditions on
Long Island. While the experiment was
in progress an officer of the state experiment
station visited the plantation and it was
his opinion that nothing more valuable than
the common pitch pine could be success
fully grown on the great shrub oak plains,
unless they We're first cleared up, plowed
and cultivated. and that this would cost more
than the land would be worth for timber
culture
North and south of the plains or shrub
oak section the land is more fertile, and
valuable timber growth is common, and an
effort is being made by the officers of the
experiment station to induce the farmers to
plant trees in their abandoned fields. Lo-
Gust, chestnut walnut and white oak are
the sorts OF timber recommended. The rapid
growth chestnut is said to be the most profit
able. Its trimmings furnish stakes, rails
and posts for fences, and railroad ties. and
the larger trees may be relied upon for a
crop of nuts, long before they are ready for
the saw mill. Instead of a struggling
growth of valuable trees judicious planting
Will secure a valuable timber crop which
may be relied upon to increase the value OF
the land from year to year considerably
faster than the money would increase If
left in q savings bank