Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1909-12-24
FOREST TREES FOR INDIANA.
Great Tracts of Waste Land Being

Planted in Fast Growing Varieties.
There seems to be a revival in tree
planting in southern Indiana. The
government forester and the Indiana
Board of Forestry have for several
years been advising the farmers to
plant forest trees. II is only OF late
years that there seems to have been
any marked results of these appeals
made by the government and the state.
In Warrick county and other coun-
ties in the southern part of Indiana
many farmers have utilized their waste
tracts by setting out black locusts,
hardy catalpa and other varieties OF
fast growing trees. This is due large
ly to the post famine that the farm
ers are having to contend with. IL
Is almost impossible to secure GOOD,
lasting fence posts and the farmers
have found that the black locust, har-
dy catalpa and Usage orange make
posts with considerable longevity. Still
many farmers are growing trees on
their waste tracts, considering 1t
good financial investment.
In this part of Indiana there are
many acres of land that can be bought
dirt cheap" and will yield good
crop of black locusts for posts in ten
or twelve years. An acre of posts is
estimated to be worth $3.50 to $500.
II has been stated by government for
estry experts that a small plantation
of black locusts would mature into
great value in from ten to twenty
years and would be a sure investment
if it were not for the possibility of the
destructive work of the locust borer.
A few years ago a Pennsylvania
railroad set out 5000 acres of black
locusts in western Pennsylvania. The
locust borer struck them in a few
years and killed the entire plantation.
Up to date, however, the locust borer
does not seem to have been SO destruc-
tive in southern Indiana, yet there are
few groves in which the effect OF
the borers can be seen. 1t is esti-
mated that If the borers were to kill
even one half Of all the trees set out
the tree growing business would still
be good investment.
Thomas P. Littlepage, legal adviser
to the Investigations committee Of
the senate. and w. B. Burton, an Of
fetal in the government service at
Washington, own the largest tree plan
tation in southern Indiana. The tract
contains over $4,000 and is near Gen.
tryville, Spencer county. The owners
expect this plantation to bring them
$4,000 in twelve years. The planta-
ton consists of thirty-five acres and
was bought by Messrs. Littlepage and
Burton for 5000. Mr. Littlepage also
owns another tract of land, twenty
acres of which he planted in locust
and catalpas this spring.
The locust borer is an insect very
destructive in its work. 1t bores holes
through the young growing trees, and
IL is not uncommon to find in sections
where the borer works trees with
holes in and through them the size of
a lead pencil. The Bureau of Ento-
mology at Washington has given a
great deal of study to this insect and
has Issued bulletin showing the re-
suits of investigation, but as yet there
has been no practical way found to
Offset its effect. The greatest known
enemy of the borer is the woodpecker.
Some time ago Mr.. Detweiler, a
representative of the Forestry Bureau
at Washington, visited this section of
Indiana, and while here made a close
study Of the trees. He stated that the
birds were the farmers best friends,
and that if the farmers gave the mat
ter the proper attention they would
not permit birds to be killed, but
would plant cherry trees and sarvis
trees over their farms upon which
the birds could feed. He further stat
ed that unless the killing of birds
ceased a time would come when In
diana would be treeless and fruitless.
-Boonville correspondence Indianapo
lis Star