The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-01-05

tions. It may be shown by the circles
of boughs closely following each other
on the trunk that a little tree, while
not over six feet high, may have been
Is years or more old, and at last may
have given up the struggle for life.
Another specimen exhibited showed
the work of the pines chief insect
enemy, the weevil. The egg is always
laid close to the centre, but at the top
of the tree, and the worm eats this out,
killing the upward shoot and causing
the tree to branch out and stop the
regular growth. II pines are scatter
ing, they will be worthless, growing in
a pyramidal shape. If too thick, they
will also be of little value. The pine
weevil seldom troubles. trees inland,
the insect preferring the coast country.
The right number of trees to the acre is
an important point. For planting the
seed is better than transplanting. The
cones should be gathered by Sept, 1
They should be spread out to dry, and
in 10 days the seed will easily drop out.
These seed should be sown on the sod
or in burrows, so as to be protected
from the direct sun. The trees should
come up thickly, not less than 8 600,
and better 5000, to the acre. Begin
carly to trim them. Lower branches
should be cut out, so that in the well
grown tree there should be no branches
within 90 feet Of the ground. Pine
lumber varies greatly in price, and the
effort should be to raise the best. The
growth Of the tree will depend on
plenty of air and light. 1t will cost II
cents per tree to cut limbs 20 feet from
the ground. This operation keeps
timber free from knots.
Why grow cheap lumber when you
can grow high priced7 Cutting limbs
will give lumber wholly clear. You
will not have to cut many live limbs,
but cut off all the dead mes. If not
taken eff the little dry limbs will run
through all the later growth.
As to how thick the trees should
finally be Mr.. Lyman fixed 100 to the
acre as a safe number at 45 years of
age, and shows that the gradual cut
ting out after that time would yield
annual returns, while the standing
timber would be constantly increasing.
As to thinning pines, it will depend
on what kind Of timber one wishes to
grow. You might cut by degrees in
succession for fences, sleds, box boards
and the like. At As years of age, as
noted above, the land might be thinned
to 100 trees to the acre. At 60 years of
age, they would make 500 feet to the
tree. Perhaps that is making them
too thin. Then thin to 70 trees, finally
to 40 trees per ere You can grow
more trees on dry land than on moist
land. If you like you can grow more
than you need and cut out the biggest
ones. Hot sunshine is dangerous to
young pines. Winter rye will shelter
the young trees. Sow the seed about
as thick Is you would SOW corn, say
two or three quarts per acre. The best
sowing in the fall is in connection with
winter rye.
Several otter speakers followed Mr..
Lyman's address, and commended his
remarks, stating that Massachusetts
was the home of the white pine. The
reason it is neglected is that men are
not content to enrich their families I'm.
less they can enrich themselves. 1t is
an instance of the common lack of fix
edness of purpose.
A nurseryman stated that for years
he had obtained his spending money
from the sale of trees which he planted
himself. He sells 40 to so cords of pine
box lumber, besides wood per acre. He
has q piece Of five acres not yet cut
where there are trees measuring over
SIX feet in circumference. He would
not take 81 900 for his five acres. He
believes the abandoned farm should be
planted to pine trees, and that there is
no better way to dispose of them.
A Fitchburg gentleman stated that
when he was a boy of IL years of age,
his father planted a large area of wood
for the University of Glasgow, in Scot
land. His uncle was a forester, and
used to mention the large incomes
which the land owners obtained from
their forests. The Earl of Athol set q
glowing example by planting thousands
of acres of his vast and almost worth
less estate in Scotland with larches
which became immensely valuable.
VARIETY OF TRIBES FOR PEACH
ORCHARD.