Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-04-13
ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING
Discussion of Various Methods with
Few Suggestions by an Expert.


ton to arise Is, Where shall we plant
1t Is obvious that the practical work @;
Arbor Day can not include foresl
planting. That is work so large ant
special in its nature as to require the
combined efforts of persons in an or
ganiZed capacity, such as a town
county, or State, which shall either dc
the work outright or give such encour
uSement and help as will stimulate in
diyidual effort to the requisite degree
Afbof Day observances, to be sure
should not lose sight of the fact thai
we need some thing besides planting
trees by the roadside OF on the lawn, o.
mere ana there one in memory of som,
distinguished person; something more
than the landscape gardeners art il
planting appropriately public parks.
These works of minor importance
should lead to such knowledge of tn.
uses of trees in inasses-the extensive
forests-in connection with climate
with the flow of streams and conse.
quently with agricultural operations
and with manufactures, in short with
the general interests of household and
business life, that in due time there
will he developed sentiment that will
be powerful to arrest the wasteful and
unnecessary destruction of our forests
and insure the planting of them in
places from which they have been re,
moved or where they are specially
needed. One thing is to be remem.
bered and is calculatd to lend effective.
ness to the work of Arb0r Day. 1t is
that trees are living and self-propagat.
ing things: that it is their nature to
grow, aud that they will grow and ex.
tend themselves on every hand if NOT
interferred with and thwarted by man,
AS an illustration of this we see aban.
doned farms on our hillsides soon fill.
ing up with wood growth 1t NAV
not be OF the most valuable or desira.
bic character. but it shows what ma.
ture is ready TO do, and it indicates n
direction in which the influence of
Arbor Day may be made effective.
Let II be understood that the hills
and mountain slopes are worth more
for the growth of trees than for agrj-
cultural use, or rather that the tree
crop is the most appropriate agricul-
tural crop for the hill and mountain
slopes. the rocky surfaces which re-
sist the plow and the hoe lie. the
farmer learn that if he will but ex-
cude from his woodlands the browsing
cattle which are ready 10 eat off
every tender tree as it sprouts from
the ground and to break down with
1heir heavy bulk those which have al
ready attained II hopeful size, and if
he Will Gull the inferior trees instead
or the best. for his occasional uses. and
I'LL the too wide vacant spaces with a
1udicious planting, he may soon have n
woodland. though ii may not have the
dimensions of forest which will be of
manifold benefit to him as well to
others and be increasing in value
from year to year. This use Of elevated
and rocky lands, where ordinary agri.
culture is difficult and comparatively
unremunerative ought ODE encouraged
by the Arbor day movement. 1t NAV
and should make itself felt in this di
rection
The same is true in reference to
many sandy and swampy lands. These
will nourish trees and prove perpetu
al source of income Trees, unlike
ordinary farm crops. continually i'm
prove the quality or the ground on
which they grow. The German Gov
ernment, in its wise and careful mana
cement. is constantly buying up the
worn-out or impoverished farms of it's
husbandmen and by stocking them
with trees restoring their fertility and
lifting them again for agricultural use.
On a great many of our light. sandy
soils. now left AZ wind-swept barren
fields or yielding only the most meager
crops. growth of that most valuable
tree the white pine 0Pinus strobus).
may be secured in twenty years and
even less, of marketable size. There is
great demand for the wood of this tree
in its early stages, for the manufacture
Of slaves. for tubs and small casks. as
well as for other uses, and many land
owners are finding 1t profitable to raise
and maket this pine at a comparatively
early age.
This is not the place to discuss
iufthef the subject of forest planting
or rorest preservation. unless IL be to
say that perhaps greater enemy of
the fofest than the AK is fire. and that
wherever there is regard enough for
trees To occasion the observance of
Arpor l)ay there ought TO be also con
Slueratlon enough for the preservation
ol the forests or the vicinity to inagur-
ate some well arranged and efficient
plan to protect them from the flames
which, kindled by accident or careless
'"'', "i' "o' oiiiy uetflment TO the
legal owner of the forest but to the
whole community, for, in an important
sense, the forests are common pro-
perty. by their beauty. their influence
upon climate and water supply. they
are of benefit TO all who live in sight
Of them and may be to those more dis
ant from them. All. therefore ought
10 be ready to make their preservation
common cause.-Department of Agri
culture.
Plateau Lands of SPAIN
Under the reign OF the Moorish
caliphs the Iberian peninsula resem-
oled vast garden, yielding grain and
fruit OF every known variety in the