Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-05-06
BY Frank Simons

| resulting from rains ana snow does
not run away and is absorbed in the
subsoil where it falls. Beneath these
high elevations are found our coal
beds. Some of the finest groves in
the Missouri valley are growing over
these coal deposits. A failure of the
crops over these coal fields is almost
unknown and this indicates that
there is moisture in the subsoil.
In the early days of North Dakota
the government gave one-fourth of
every section to any one who would
successfully grow ten acres of trees
upon it. Well tlis was a failure and
all those who tried to raise the trees
under the plan devised by our repres-
entatives at washington who came
from portion of our country where
they have plenty Of rain. There the
seed are sown by the wind and are
covered by the winds, where they will
grow without cultivation. There is
, too much moisture for the great fire
to kill them, the sun cannot dry out
the soil owing to the thick clouds
that almost constantly overshadow
the country. These clouds protect
the frozen vegation from the intense
rays Of the bright morning sun and
the frost is drawn out Of the frozen
vegetation gradually. Freezing does
little harm. It ripens and sweetens
the fruit and warns the tree to pre-
pare it for winter. 1t is the sudden
thawing in North Dakta's bright
morning sun and the exposure to
cold that makes our northern slopes
the very best location for the plant
ing Of trees. We want sun breaks
instead of wind breaks for fruit. The
northern slopes do not start the buds
so early in the spring, and the cold
causes the trees to ripen their bark,
wood and fruit buds In the early
fall they stop growing and prepare
for the winter by coating themselves
with glossy. waxy substance, non
conductor Of heat and cold.
The tree claim law said cultivate
to a crop the second year." This
clause alone, to any person who has
dug a post hole in the summer time
in North Dakota, would settle the
question If he would get patent to
the claim or not. This crop would
suck up every drop of moisture that
may have. settled in the subsoil be-
meath the breaking. In planting the
tree the following year he would dig
down to dry ground. How long can
a tree live without drying up in our
bright sunshine and dry atmosphere
with its roots resting on dry earth
Is 1t any wonder the tree died? This
is the exact condition that most trees
are planted under in North Dakota.
It Is plain to any intelligent person
that it is useless to plant tree or
SOW a crop until the subsOil is thoro-
simply gambling to put in a crop
trusting to future rain coming In
time. Years ago when the farmers
had total failure Of crops wrote to
never let a weed grow in your fields
and some day you will be rewarded
with a bumper crop that will more
than pay you for all your labor.
Now If you wish to have row of
trees or a hedge along the highway
"a grove or shelter belt about your
home or a fruit garden you had
better begin right by filling the sub
soil, where you wish to plant, with
moisture. How are you to do this?
In summer by following deep blowing
after each heavy rain, never allowing
the leaf of weed to get larger than
a mouse's ear and by narrowing thus
all the moisture where it
falls. Now when you have the de-
sired moisture in the subsoil plant
your trees and keep them clean from
weeds by cultivation and common
sense will tell you that your trees
will grow and bear fruit. Even many
of the cultivated fruits can be success
fully grown in North Dakota In spite
Of drouth and early. and late frosts.
Mark you'll do not say anything of
our intensely cold winters, 1t is only
the early and late frosts mention.
II the trees can stand them I don't
care how cold may be through the
winter, they will be living the next
summer. The nursery men say their
trees hav stood 40 degrees. Why
don't, they say they have stood our
early and late frosts? These frosts
are the only cold that kills the trees.
Many years ago / gathered millions
Of trees from their native seedlings
on the Missouri river bottoms and
often as grasped an exceptionally
vigorous, healthy, stocky tree with
every bud ripened perfectly to the
very tip / thought, Come up little
tree to die. or those millions Of
trees how many are living today?
Why are they dead IN, M
]: ri Z: HOW THEY BUY LAND.
h The Mcknight Land company OF
Souris, purchased Is, 900 acres of
school lands In Ward, Bottinea,l and
McHenry counties ut cost OF about
half q, million dollars at the recent
school lands sales. They purpose
up the land and sowing 1t