The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-31
TREE PLANTINe ron PRoErr.

From The Nebraska State Journal we copy the following. which. we think will be of some interest:
 If the Pennsylvania Railroad can af. ford to plant trees on its land for the growing of cross-ties, why not the Nebraska farmer? The average land owner may not be able to wait so long grower, but how would 1t be with the investor who wishes only to provide for the future? At the meeting of the state. Horticultural Society week be- fore lest. Professor Miller of the 'State University. cited a few instances that seem favorable to the scheme. A cot fonwood grove in Madison County at the end of eighteen years proved 10 have given returns equal to a rent paid anually of S3.S0 an acre a year, this on land unfit for cultivation. Paw nee County catalpa grove of twenty 1 acres returned by the end of seven teen ye9rs net s275 an acre. more than twenty dollars a year. not allowing for interest on deferred income. A black walnut grove in Burt County did as well. It Is a pleasant idea, that of
 buying few acres of land. planting it to catalpas or walnuts, seeing that the trees receive sufficient attention to give them proper start and then for getting about them till old age dis covers them grown into 6 fortune. But there are possible drawbacks to con- slider; the danger of damage by fire. disease. drought. marauding live stock. or possible incnrsions of timber thieves. We know the plantings described by Professor Miller succeeded. We do not
 know how many other such attempts
 failed in the meanwhile.
 Of course. there are drawbacks. just as there are in all other human ef- forts and undertakings If everything that person undertakes was assured of success, this would be a pretty easy old world to get along in, but unfor- tunately for humanity, the very best and noblest efforts do not in all cases enjoy a clear right of way from start to finish.
 The question to be considered is whether the good to be expected does not overbalance the obstacles and evils that may be feared. One of the great drawbacks in the way of tree planting is the indisposition of the average American to look far enough ahead and make provision for a some- what distant future. The farmer plants his crop and expects to reap it the same year, or the next Spring at farthest. The orchardist puts out fruit trees and expects to gather fruit from them in a very few years but there is not much disposition to plant crop when the planter knows that genera tion is likely to elapse before he can get any benefit from the crop.
 The examples given by The Journal al rr1l,< bo. ,fa lands in Alabama as well as in the great West to plant trees that will yield a profit, though that profit may be delayed a quarter of century, or ing of tree-planting, of the words used by a Highland laird, while on his death-bed. to his son: 'tJocl, when ye hae naething else to do, ye may aye ing. Jock when we're sleeping"
 That was the canny Scot all over, but it was true just the same, and applies just as we'll now as then. The tree will not only be growing when he who planted it is sleeping, but 1t will be making provision for the future. If the one who plants it does not live to profit by it, he may feel that his pos terity will, and so nothing will really be lost. As all know who have taken any interest In tue matter. timber for eross-ties is becoming scarce. and the supply cannot last may years, unless 1t is renewed. The same is true of fence-posts and many other things for which wood is now used. The farmer and the land owner thinks there is plenty to last his time and there he stops. There are others to come after him, however. and he might well spend a little time providing for them. If he can do no more, he can be sticking in a tree" In the waste places.
 It is very true that for cross-t ties. to take one example, substitute for true that they have not found one that is satisfactory. The same may be true of all other purposes for which wood is used, but that is not a good or ra- tlOHaI way lO iooh al IL. rIIie pTopSI view to take is that due regard for the necessities of the future require provision to be made for the wood famine which is inevitable. unless guarded against. When Joseph was managing Pharaoh's business he had Divine revelation to show him that there was famine ahead. and so it was provided against. We do not need any revelation from on high to prove to us that there will be a famine in wood. for intelligent people can see it, and prudence dictates that provision be made to guard against it. That pro vision consists in aye sticking in a tree,