Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1909-04-30
PROFIT Is YIELDED
BY TREE GROWING.
DenudIns Of Massachusetts Land
Calls Attention to the Value Of
Timber Cultivation.


Thirty-hve years ago the town OF
Andover, Mass, contained as fine
groves OF pines and other woods as
there were in the State, From the
top of Institution Hill. look which
ever way you might, beautiful groves
we're to be seen.
To-day from the same point It Is
like looking across an almost barren
plain, says a writer in Horticulture.
The woods have nearly disappeared.
and few trees have been planted In
their places.
The brooks where once a string Of
trout could be caught contain water
only a few weeks in the spring or
during heavy fall rains; the rest Of
the year they are dry, or nearly so.
What is going on in this town is
going on in almost every town in the
State. and If the subject Of tree plant
ing is not taken in hand either by
the Government or private parties
Massachusetts, win soon be a treeless
State.
There are thousands Of acres OF
land that are unfit for cultivation, yet
this same land has been covered with
good growths Of timber and wood and
could be again so covered.
There is no better investment an
owner could leave his children than
to plant his barren lands with trees,
besides benefting the State and the
country In which he lives. A great
many will say that it does not pay, a
tree grows so slowly Let US look at
It in a business way and see.
]. D. G.. Williams, OF Raynham, set
piece of land to pine in 1850. The
land was $40 an acre; cost Of setting
out, IS. After twenty-five years Of
growth the standing wood was sold
to Mr.. Thayer, of Taunton, for $3.50
an acre, leaving the land in better
order to set out again than when he
bought 1t. The case may be stated
thus:
Land, an acre.. ....... ............ $40
Trees ..s-t ....... ....f...... ....... >
taxes -. ...-. .-.....s.. ............ 3
Total ...... 80. $500. ............ so
left.
A Mr.. Williams. OF Bristol County,
set piece OF land to pine in 1911,
the land costing IS an acre. The
trees were set in rows varying from
six to nine feet and four to six feet
apart. The lot was examined by an
experienced lumberman in 1870 with
view to purchasing, and the esti-
mate OF the wood was seventy-five
cords to the acre. More than two
thirds Of this is suitable for box
boards and is worth at the mill, three
miles distant, Sc cord.
Lana, an acre.. ........-. .-..-....... 50
SETTING trees ..... .........,.....
lakes ........ ...,.. 80. ..,........ II
Total cost an acre -. ......... s2l
Fifty cords Of wood at Sc. .s31(
Twenty-Five cords of wood at So. 5.
Yield an acre.. -. ......... .S3jl
The late Richard Simpson set
piece of pine thirty-one years ago OF
land too poor to cuItiXats=z..sStaasrs..,,, Z, I,
rs5w is essi.nl ed TO be worth SIS,
an acre at least.
These groves had no treatment t
hasten their growth or improve tn
quality Of the lumber, and with tn
exception of the removing OF one o
two dead trees, it might be said tha
they took care of themselves. Hat
these plantations been pruned SO that
the whole growth of the branches
had been thrown into the trunks they
would have been worth at least fifteen
per cent. more.