Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-01-02
FOREST FROM SEEDS,
Aged Man Starts Nursery Near
Falls Church, Va.
PLANTED IN AN ORCHARD.

/ Trees In Neutrality-suspicious. En-
thusiast Hopes to Replace Timber.
Explains His Purpose In Starting
Seeding Farm.
With seeds of forest trees estimate
to number not less than 100000
planted on a small strip of land about
two miles directly south of Falls
Church, Va, Sidney A. Gaylor of Wash
| ington, an experienced nurseryman,
has begun in practical way the cult
walton of seedlings, with which he
hopes to replace aged or fallen timber
or create additional tracts of timber
land in the neighborhood Of Washing
ton. And a surprising Fact of this
planting near Falls Church is that ev-
cry one of the seeds placed there was
gathered by Mr.. Gaylor from trees in
the city of Washington or just over
the District line.
Mr. Gaylor, In addition to being an
experienced nurseryman and an enthu-
siast on trees, especially Of the shade
or forest variety, describes himself as
"a newspaper correspondent who has
written up the agricultural advantages
and opportunities of many of the fer
tile river valleys of Colorado, my
home" He gives his age as seventy
one years and says that practically all
his time for the past thirtysix years
has been devoted to affairs strictly
agricultural, both theoretical and prac-
teal.
The major part of his life. SO he told
a Washington Star reporter, has been
spent in Kansas and Colorado, where
he studied, experimental and dealt at
times in a practical manner in forestry
trees. At one time he planted timber
claims and at other times dug mere
seedlings from the forests of Colorado,
brought them to the highest possible
condition of tree life through cultiya-
ton and care and then disposed of
them. in several instances freeing"
as he described it, public parks in
Colorado cities.
'What was my object in planting
those seeds out near Falls Church!
Just simply because l believe in refor-
estation: that's all. l think it is the
duty of everybody to become inter
ested in this subject, and everybody
should do something practical toward
placing the timber life of this country
in the same condition it was in hun
dred years ago.
Rather than for pecuniary gain /
gathered those seeds and planted them
right here near the capital of the ma
ton with the hope that other people
would become interested and do the
same thing until we should have no
dearth Of trees anywhere. And just to
show how easily it can be accom-
plished l gathered nearly all of my
seeds here in the thickly settled por-
lions of Washington"
How did you become interested in
trees?'' was asked.
"It may seem strange, but I'll tell
you. When l was boy about eleven
or twelve years old ! happened to be
reading my Bible and ran across the
passage, Behold the fig tree and all
impression upon me, and from that
day to this my love for the tree and
it's cultivation has never ceased. Then
as time went on and the big forests l
used to see in my bOyhOod out west
disappeared l felt as though there was
something strangely missing, and then
l began to think again, hard. and sud
denly it all dawned on me-refOresta-
ton. We needed to replace the things
which were gone"
Mr. GayIor spoke of President Roose-
velt's interest in forestry and said:
His administration has agitated the
country from center to circumference.
and possibly one of the greatest things
he has done, in my humble opinion, is
the calling of the recent meeting OF
governors and the conservation delib-
erations, in particular to forestry"
Have you called on the president at
all?"
mo, / have not. But here is a letter
of introduction to him given me by the
governor of Colorado when l came
here to Washington last May. You
see," continued Mr.. Gaylor, lit was
my original intention to go to South
America for the purpose of studying
and writing On the agricultural and
forest conditions of the republics down
there, but had to give it up on ac-
count of my age and health. | didn't
realize that years were telling on me
until reached Washington. And then
it was ] found out that I'd have to
forego the tropical trip. My letter to
the president was to be presented be-
fore / left as one probably interested
in the things which attracted me there.
II liked the city very well. You see.
l had never seen the capital of the ma
tion before, so l stayed. After I'd
been here a month or more the idea
occurred to me TO take advantage of
the many seeds from the trees here
going to waste and show in practical
way what could be accomplished with
them"
How and where did you gather the