The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-02
MAKING KANSAS BEAUTIFUL.
Forestry Commission Is Unable to
Fill All the Orders From Farmers
for Trees.
From the Kansas City Star.

80 al tHc OrNcFs II rom runners
for Trees.
From the Kansas City Star.
1--WE distribute free of cost about o.
100000 young shade trees to the far
mers and land owners of Western Kan
sas every spring" said r. NJ. Wright
commissioner of State Forestry of
Dodge City, Kan, while at the stock
yards one day last week
THE demand for trees is increasing
every year" he continued, land the
two stations at Dodge City and Ogal-
lab are hard pressed in filling all the
orders. There is a friendly rivalry be-
tween neighbors in planting young
trees. One man will set out a few
hundred trees and If they do we'll that
year 1t is a ten to one shot that his
neighbors on either side of him will
put in an order for trees the next
spring. If one man has 500
trees, on his place, his neighbor will
try to put 1000 trees on his
farm. We receive. orders from all owe
the state, but nine-tenths of the trees
go to farmers living west of Wichita
and Newton. Sometimes we receive
inquiries from landholders in the east
ern counties. To such we reply that
the nurseries are maintained principal
ly for the benefit of the people living
In the arid country in the western part
OF the state, but assure them that If
there are trees enough to go around
their orders will be filed"
The Kansas State Commission of
Forestry was established ten or twelve
years ago for the purpose of encour-
aging the growth of shade trees in the
arid districts. 1t is maintained on an
annual appropriation of about $780,
1t has had a wonderful effect in beau
Trying an otherwise desolate expanse
of sand and sage brush. The trees not
only shade the farmers home property.
but often provide shelter from the
the winds and SHOWS for his cattle and
other live stock. The principal varie-
ties grown at the two stations are the
black and honey locust, the alanthus,
box elder, catalpa, white ash, soft ma
pie, Usage orange, mulberry and cot
tonwood. The greatest demand seems
to be for the honey locust, because It
grows quicker than some of the other
kinds. The Usage orange and the null
berry are especially adapted for hedges,
and are used for wind and snow
breaks.
One of the best examples of the use
of growing trees for snowbreaks can
be seen along the line of the Santa Fe
out of Dodge City and for a distance
of about seventeen miles to the east
ward. A triple row of trees reaches
almost the entire distance, and for sew
eral seasons has prevented a snow
blockade along one of the worst pieces
of track on the railroad. The center
row is composed of Usage orange trees
grown thickly together.
On either side is grown a row of
either black locust or mulberry trees
The space between the rows is just |
large enough to allow the cultivation
of the ground. In the winter time,
when the fierce winds are chasing the |
1eeting snow across the prairies, the |
scnowbreak stops the fieecy flakes and |
piles them high outside the track. Both |
the Santa Fe and the Union Pacific |
are considering the advisability Of |
planting trees along their tracks in |
other parts of the state where difficulty |
is experienced in keeping the tracks |
cleared of snow during the winter sea- |
son.
The chief benefit of the work of the |
commission, however. is the changing |
of the appearance of the western part |
of the state. A few years ago not a /
tree was to be found excepting a few /
scattering ones along the banks of the /
streams. Now nothing binders the far /
mer from planting as many million /
trees as he cares to. The fact that o. l
100000 trees a year are being given /
away by the commission shows that |
the work in the nurseries is not done /
in vain.
THE great principle of the distribu- |
ton is the idea of getting something |
for nothing" said Mr.. Wright People /
drive fifty miles to Dodge to get trees |
and that is the way we like to deliver I
them, because we believe sapllngs will /
receive proper attention at once Some |
ask for $4,000 trees at one time, and /
requests for 10000 are not uncommon. /
usually send out 300 at first and /
then If can increase the number lat
er / do So"