The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-07
FOREST TREES AND KANSAS PRAIRlEs

Something more than thirty years ago when the
Eagle first essayed flying, this great valley was
practically treeless Save the thin fringe of trees
found along the margin Of its streams there were
none. The site Of the city did not boast hardly so
much a shrub With the very first issue the
paper commenced to cry for trees It called atten-
ton to the fact that site chosen for the city was
so monotonously level that there was but one way
Of making it at all attractive and that by trying the
growing of trees and shrubbery. So persistently
did the paper keep t6is up and with such good
results that the council finally passed an ordinance
compelling the planting of trees along every street.
in front of every lot The constitutionality of the
ordinance was questioned but never tested Where
property holders neglected the matter the cost prov
ed so triding that nobody would be found obecting
The result was and in a very few years the most
densely shaded city in the state where otherwise
or without the trees the city would have remained
dead level subject to sweeping winds and swelter-
ing suns.
At the same time the Eagle took up the question
Of tree planting the claims and farms The argu-
ment that what with hedges. AN orchard and
group Of trees on every farm and this section of
the great American desert would be rendered attrac-
tive beyond dreams. Another argument was that
five or ten acres planted to cottonwood trees would
in few years prove a continuous wood supply
for home purposes The farmers who acted upon
the Eagles theory have both abundance Of shelter
and wood now. while so far as the city is concerned.
hundreds of trees are cut down every winter because
Of too dense shade
In this connection We quote from the Cleveland
Leader which declares that: Another evidence Of
the work that is being done by the Department Of
Agriculture in aid OF the farmers is furnished by
pamphlet that has been issued upon the general
subject Of the commercial plantation Of hardy ca,
talpa trees in the Middle West Not only does this
publication tel all about the planting and cultiva
ton Of these trees but it contains detailed informa
ton based upon actual observation. Of the cost
the profits to De derived from this use of the land
The hardy catalpa has been planted extensively
for commercial purposes in Iowa. kansas. and Ne
brasba. where small forests have been grown upon
the prairie soil That this is good wav TO make
money there can be no doubt Not much return
can be expected until eight years after the trees
are planted. and then the cutting begins A sam
PIE plantation OF four hundred acres was taken This
showed return Of sS76so an acre in eighteen years
The cost Of planting and oultivating. rent OF land
superintendent. and marketing. averaged $1,000
an acre for ten years The net return on the in
veztment was therefore s2es.so an acre or sls7s
Per year The actual investment during the eiebtse,
years was s44oso- If interest upon this sum is
compounded at FER cent the expense is brought
up to slssiS an acre leaving the clear proa sl7s7s
Per acre or s774s on the entire plantatoa for the
period Of eighteen years.
The wood of the hardy ca,alpa is used enten
svey on the plains for fence posts and occasionally
for railroad ties and there is market for all that
is grown"