Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-23


or other deficiency drawn from the
soil by the removal of crops.
In economic forestry we must of
necessity depend on natural condi-
ions, for, at the present time, who
can tell just what the primitive for
est has taken from the lands on
which it stood or what should be sup
piled to restore it to a fertility or
strength required to produce a sec
ond crop If, therefore, we depend
on natural conditions to help the
growth of a second crop of forest
trees, rotation is suggested by the
observable fact that wherever a GER
tain species of tree has been removed
from an area, the natural result is
that other species grow. Oaks are
followed by pines, evergreens by de-
ciduous species, etc. ...... ...-.
Orchardists who lose a large APP
pie tree in their mature orchards
know better than to plant a young
apple tree in the same place, for it
rarely reaches bearing age; there
fore, peaches, plums or cherries are
used for filters in apple orchards.
Pit fruits after seed fruits, seed
fruits after pit fruits give the desir-
ed rotation. The extensive nursey-
men of the country, who produce a
crop of fifteen thousand apple or
pear trees an acre in five years, new
er try a second crop Of the same
without long rest or proper fertil-
izing, and as both are expensive a
rotation OF crops is practiced. Gar
deners who are the most successful
use abundant fertilizer, of course,
and the rotation of crops is one of
their secrets.
This idea of pit producing fruit
following a seed producing fruit and,
vice versa, in plan for rotation in
planting crops, is undoubtedly very
crude and primitive, thought a sue
cessful one in practice. Underlying
it all, it would seem that there are
reasons not yet fully scientifically
demonstrated. I believe that even
a closer distinction than "pit after
seed" and "sed after pitt" may be-
come practicable in rotation of
crops. I have seen many sugges-
tons in my horticultural experience
to confirm the idea. A single illus
tration will now suffice
On two acres of land thirty scat
ering apple trees seventy years old
were dug out, and the land was
ditched and planted to nursery trees
Of many different species and varie-
ties of species. la four years ,
growth all of the nursery trees
should have been mature. All of
the elms, ash (fraxinus), naples,
horse chestnuts, ETC., were from eight
to twelve feet high. The ounce,
crataegus, mountain ash, apple, ETC.,
were Of good normal height and size,
except in those portions Of the rows
that stood over the former location
of the old orchard trees. In these
spots l had crataegus twelve inches
high that should have been five feet !;
mountain ash ten inches that should
have been ten feet, as they were
away from the exhausted soil direct
ly where the old apple trees came
out. 1t will be seen that all the
trees that did poorly were the ros-
acae, and that the apple is Of that
class. May we not, therefore, con-
clude that Linnaeus, in giving us a
botanical classification for plants, al
so gave us keynote on the subject
of rotation Of crops?
The use Of wood for pulp, which
has been so extensive within the last
score Of years, is the prime cause for
removing from forest lands nearly
everything of value from them. The
minimum size of pulp wood is four
inches in diameter. Lumbermen
say that it is not profitable to cut
trees that make less than three
four-foot lengths; therefore, we
must have sticks twelve feet long
The number Of years it would take
to raise trees Of such dimensions, OF
course, depends on the species plant
ed and also on the degree of success
ATTAINED. Data for estimates are
not abundant. / have seen Norway
spruce grown about by feet thai
would all cut twelve foot sticks fou1
inches at the small end, in twenty
five years, equal to about twenty
cords of four-foot pulp wood pei
acre. White pine, black sprucs
and hemloek would not grow so fast
Carolina poplar. catalpa and white