Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-01-04

The white ash is a rather slow grow
er during the first fifteen years Of its
existence, but If one plants this tree he
will be more than we'll rewarded for
his work after this period.
The best thing about the great for
ests of conifers on the Pacific coast
is that they will renew themselves IL
the fire and the sheep are kept out
The pine forests Of the central north
will not % this, other types Of trees
taking their place.
It costs about a thousand dollars for
an American to furnish the nation with
a new citizen in the shape Of young
man we'll raised, while the country Is
now getting job lots Of ready made
stuff from Europe at $7.75 per head.
This makes the raising Of boys a
rather discouraging business.
Cedar block paving Of city streets,
which had such a run few years ago,
has been almost entirely abandoned,
one experience with a rotting wood
pavement being enough. Hard burned
brick and asphalt are now taking the
lead over all other materials for this
purpose, with asphalt ahead.
The Zebrule, a cross between the
common mare and the African zebra,
is hybrid which gives some promise
Of being of much service in Africa,
where none Of the horse tribe can sur
vive the attacks Of the tsetse fly and to
the attacks of which the zebra is i'm
mune. These hybrids are docile, easily
trained little fellows Of much the same
makeup as a small mule.
We know Of one farmers wife who
now wears a two dollar a yard silk
dress at weddings and funerals who in
the pioneer days picked wild crab ap-
Piles and sold them to the local store
keeper at 35 cents a bushel to buy a
ten cent calico wrapper. And we doubt
If she is any happier than in the old
days, for she has a son gone to the
dogs just because he got the notion
that his dad had money enough for
both without his working.
The Philippine Islands exported,
mostly to this country, hemp fiber to
the value of $16,OOO,OOO last year. This
fiber formed the basis Of most Of the
cordage-rope, binding Irvine and the
like-which is used here. As these
heather are specially fitted to raise
hemp, sugar, tobacco and the devil,
the three first named products should
find a market here at lower figures
than now obtains, especially in view Of
the fact that we are responsible in
every way for these people.
The problem Of growing trees in our
cities is an interesting one. Nowhere
are conditions more adverse to tree
growth. There are the hard paved
streets, the ever present and destruc-
tive soft coal smoke, possibly a detri-
mental electrical influence growing out
Of the network Of light, telephone and
telegraph wires, the shade Of tall build
ings, all combining to give the tree but
a poor chance for it's life. Many varie-
ties succumb at once, some linger for
awhile in sickly and diseased condi-
ton and then die, and two or three va
rieties only seem able to make a sue
cess Of living. Among these are the
sycamore and the white elm, which in
many American cities constitute the
chief attraction.
There may be seen these days more
foreign people engaged in peddling and
collecting the scraps and leavings Of
our American wastefulness than ever
hafora Extrornalx- lorr tx.a memorial tio.,