Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-21
Utilizing Waste Land.

Nearly every man who owns farm
has fields that it doesn't pay to
cultivate. +" Barren of any useful
growth, they do not even yield
rent. " Economics does not recognize
them, and they are truly waste"
lands.
According to a circular called
Waste Land and Forest Growth, !"
just issued by the Forest Service of
the United States Department of
Agriculture, such unfertile territory
can without much outlay be converted
into profitble and useful land. Turn
every acre of vacant land into young
forests the Forest Service in SUBJ
stance advises. and proceeds to- show
very clearly how an owner of unused
land can obtain handsome profit for
himself and benefit the country at
large by growing timber.
Years ago people felled and burned
forests to make pasturage,. Portable
sawmills have stopped such terrible
waste. But the neglect of numbered
woods lots has greatly reduced the
quality of young timber. 1t is said
that there are thousands of acres of
land that once grew pine, and might
still be growing pine, that produce
nothing better than birch and
maple. Pines do not as rule
''sprout, and when pine forest has
been cut over without leaving trees
for seed, birch and maple, for which
mankind has no particular use, scatter
their lighter seeds and take full pos
session. Those who have taken proper
care of their timber lands find it
profitable to sell second growths of
hardwoods, only inches in diameter,
so great is the demand for lumber.
With such conditions prevailing,
there is every reason for the farmer to
make part of his crops" timber
How he will go about this depends on
the quality of his available land.
Black walnut, hardy catalpa, white
rich, we'll watered and drained lands
Other hardwoods and most of the
cone bearers will grow in soil of
medium fertility, and white pines
appear to be hard and usefuly trees.
Planting may be done by seeding.
transplanting wild seedlings. and hest
Of all by getting 2 or 3 year old
! trees from their nurseries.
The Forest Service has convinc-
ing answer for those who protest that
they will not live long enouh to en-
| joy returns from the labor and ex.
pense of forest planting. Statistics
show that land we'll covered with
young timber is always salable at
good figure. It is not necessary to
wait until the trees are merchantable
as lumber. A few years should yield
to per cent on the capital invested.
From every standpoint it is desir-
able that farmers should give their
most serious and discerning attention
to timbering their lands. Farmers
of the West have entered enthusiastic
cally into the project. and have found
in it financial gain and a great
amount of satisfaction in seeing
worn-ou and barren land serving an
immeasurably useful purpose.
By addressing the Forest Service at
Washington any one can get ex-
haustive information concerning trees.
soil and all phases of the forestry
question. President Roosevelt's en-
thusiast;c support of the Forest Serv-
ice has done much to give it the
strength and admirably efficient ad-
ministration that enables 1T to carry
on such effective work as it is now
doing. Rochester Chronicle and
F., Democrat.