The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-02-23

has been almost wholly overlooked. 1t is nee.
essariiy first to dissolve the constituents OF
the trees growth. and IL the moisture from
quantities to have this chemical effect, the
growth Of course cannot take place. But over
moisture for tree growth If there We're also
present In the soil the mechanical possibility
of supporting the tree against the forces OF
from rainfall is very abundant and steady
it will give loose and unstable soil
sufficient conference to enable tree to sup
port itself through years of growth. Many
trees which ret" largely on surface systems
such soils. But unless the rainfall is steady
the tree in a loose and very fine soil must
have some added means a1s OF ~ SUPPORT tb Tor It's
Experiments which have ben made indie
pendently of those on which Professor Whit
strongly. 1t has been determined by them
that even the most ''arid" soils of the West
in what was once called the great American
desert" contain the chemical clements nee
essary for the growth of vegetable life, which
under given conditions will become luxu a,i
ture necessary for taking the eleme ns Of
growth into solution. and supplying them with
ties Of trees the steadness of the supply OF
moisture though a matter Of great impor-
lance is Of less importance ito. to her t fra
the soil against the forces which. without
proper support. would overthrow them
The conclusion from such observations are
a matter of great practical importance--pro-
vided they stand the test of practical appli-
cation, as 1t seems probable they will 1t is
a comparatively easy matter to supply great
tracts along Western railroads with whatever
materials the trees which are being planted
need for their support. The clay and rotten
limestone which is excavated in grading
one part Of the roadbed could be use in the
planting of forests along another MI 'souri
alone could supply a practically ineNhaustibe
supply of such material. and whatever the
difficulties of obtaining and applying 1t, the
are less than those of obtaining the steady
supply of moisture around the roots of the
tree, is necessary to make the soil compact
enough to support it.
1t is unnecessary to dwell on the influence
of trees when once established in retaining
the moisture in the soil, and so in making The
rainfall steadier throughout the year Not
only do their leaves prevent undue evaporation
by shading the soil. but the evaporation they
produce is in itself gradual and adapted 10
keeping constantly in the atmosphere the wa
ter va?or needed for both vegetable and AM
NAL life. Even where the expef irncnts IN
tree planting which have been made have not
proved satisfactory, it is probable that VITA
larger knowledge of the habits of trees an
their relations TO the soils which bear them
the difficulty will disappear. There is. in fact,
every reason to hope and to expect that scien-
tifc tree culture exerting its influence through
a knowledge of a very few simple but fun
damental conditions will finally result in
making it easy to plant and perpetuate
groves of forest trees on every prairie farm
as it Is to plant and perpetuate orchards in
the States east of the Mississippi