The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-06-25

TOduS anu Dy Careless DoyS are NOW
the most serious ones.
With increased safety to forest
growth, planting becomes more and
more a desirable investment. Every
acre of land should be producing
something Of value to its owners is
the general opinion of every land
owner in this era Of progress. The
planting of white pine is often the
only means of getting an income
from some lands. All the vacant
land and pastures cannot seed them
selves and the cost of planting them
will soon be paid for by the increas-
ed value of the land.
But many people say, 1T will
never do me any good. will never
live long enough to realize anything
from my labor and expense" Ex-
perlence of hundreds has shown that
this is grave mistake. One does
not have to wait until their planted
lands have grown merchantable tim
Der. Everywhere people are seeking
to invest their money in young tim
Der, and they are willing to pay good
prices for it.
Many farmers are planting all
their vacant and worthless land with
pine and chestnut and are buying
similar land of other people for the
same purpose. Where the expense
of the operation is ten Or twelve dol
lars per acre, in few years the
land will be worth forty or fifty dol
lars. Such investments easily bring
to Z per cent interest to the owner
on his money invested. 1t is little
realized that growing trees on the
rough New England hillsides can
with a little care be made to accum-
ulate cord of wood per acre annu-
ally. Such is the case, however, and
it is needless to say that one does
not have to invest his earnings in
copper or other doubtful stock from
which he may never see any re-
turns.
There are many ways by which an
owner may seed up his waste land
with pine. Some people have met
with fair success by gathering the
cones early in the fall before they
open, drying them out, and scatter
ing the seeds during the winter or
early spring. 1t is better still to
drop the seeds, few together, in
spots previously cleared of grass or
turf and then press them into the
soil with the foot.
Successful planting of wild seed
lings is often done by transplanting
little trees growing in thick punches
or in the shade where they can never
mature. The most successful plant
ing is done with trees-two or three
years old-bought from the nursery
men and set out five or six feet
apart each way. This should be done
in the early spring before the
growth starts. Chestnuts should be
kept in moist sand over winter and
planted in the spring. They grow
rapidly.
The advance in prices of lumber
and the extensive box and cooperage
mills throughout the northeast have
made sad inroads in our timberlands.
Not only is the old growth timber
largely gone, but lumbermen even
find profit in trees that are scarce
ly six inches in diameter. The time
is past when trees can be allowed to
grow to immense size. It is figured
that pine yields the greatest returns
for the money invested between the
ages of 40 and go years. Chestnut
requires even less time.
Those who have studied the mat
ter say that the time is at hand when
the forests are to be considered as
crops to be planted, thinned and
harvested like other crops. When
this practice becomes more univer-
sal and people learn more clearly the
value of growing timber, there viii
not be thousands of acres Of unpro-
ductive land in every State, a con
slant evesore to the people. ano
yielding no returns to the owners.
The United States Forest Service
at Washington furnishes free o.
charge pamphlets and other infor'
nation on the methods of planting
desirable species, and where tht
seeds and young plants may be OBJ
tanned, together with range o.
prices.
Soothes itching skin Heals cuts o
, burns without a scar. Cures eczema
piles, salt rheum, any itching. Doan'
Ointment. Your druggist sells 1t.