Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-04-21
TREE PLANTING
PROMISES RESULTS
Over Five Thousand
Set Out in Llano
Canyon
INDIANS GOOD ASSISTANTS
Prove to Be Intelligent and
Cheerful Workers in EN-
ploy of Forest Service.

! The experimental tree planting now
being carried on by the United States
government in New Mexico. through
the Forest Service Department has at
! tracted considerable attention and is
arousing great deal of interest.
| Thousands and thousands of yellow
! pine trees are being set out in differ
ent parts of the territory with the
hope that the experiment will bear
such results as to justify continual
planting on much larger scale. Dis
| trict CHIEF of Planting A. S. Peck. as
sisted by w. d. Hayes, who has
charge of the government nurseries on
the upper Gallinas, near Las Vegas,
| and b. G. Phillips and l.. S. Meyers
! of the Forest Service, has just re-
turned from a trip north, where he
and his party have been engaged in
planting trees in the Llano Canyon
near Questa. Taos county. The work
of planting In that part of the terri
! tory has been in progress for several
weeks. but the party We're yesterday
morning aroused from their slumbers
to find themselves covered with eight
inches of snow, this causing them
temporarily to abandon the work in
I, that section. In ALL over five thou
, sand trees were planted. AS soon as
! the snow disappears, work will be
rushed in the tree planting line, it be-
! ing the intention to set out over six
+, thousand trees north of Taos When
approached by representative of the
New Mexican. Chief of Planting A. S.
! Peck stated that he considered the
| trip he had just made. to be most
successful and satisfactory one.
| 1--WE had delightful weather to work
| in said he, "and the weather condi
| tions were just right for the kind of
work in which we were engaged. |
am certain that our work will bear
/ fruitful results and that the expert
ments which We are carrying on--fOr
| the tree planting we are doing is only
! by way of eXperiment--will more
than justify the expense attached and
| prove of lasting benefit. We were in
deed fortunate that the snow came in
as it did as it will aid greatly the sue
cessful growth of the trees planted.
Just prior to the fall of snow, we
sowed quite number of acres of
ground on the mountainside with Vel,
low Pine and Douglas Fir seed. 'rhe
sowing. of course, was done broadcast.
The snow covered the seeds and when
1t melts will carry the seeds down into
the ground and have every conf
dence that the sowing will show re-
suits. We had with us to assist in
planting, four Taos Indians. Their
intelligence was really remarkable.
They took great delight in the work
and even showed ability to plant the
trees properly without Instruction
and overseeing. However, their work
was to dig the holes for the trees.
They We're constantly in happy
mood, singing and joking. They
joked considerable about the tree
planting, saying that soon the trees
| would be grown so large that they
could come out and shoot squirrels
from the branches. In the evenings
they made the camp cheerful singing
Indian songs. Even when they awoke
well covered with snow, their voices
We're soon heard happily singing. The
country through which we were work
ing is most picturesque and extremely
interesting. The late spring has held
back sufficiently all tree buds and, as
a result, that portion of the territory
Is assured splendid fruit crop. AS
1T was becoming somewhat dry, the
snow which we just left behind us,
was of great benefit. Water will be
in abundance and the people are
well satisfied
Peck leaves tomorrow with w. d.
Hayes, who returns tonight from Taos
for the government nurseries
on the upper Gallinas. AS
he has other work ahead he
| will not return north to finish the
tree planting, but the rest OF the
party will 60 back as soon as the
snow is gone, which will probably be
a week from now.
| Two weeks ago experimental plant
ings were made in Santa Re Canon,
and an attempt will be made to re-.
forest the entire Santa Fe watershed.
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| ARGUMENT FOR NEW