Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-09-16
NORTH DAKOTA TREE RAISING
Greatest Difficulty Growers Are Com
PEELED to Contend With Is Small
Amount of Moisture.

<synopsis of Talk on Northern Pacific
n, Better FARMING. Specially
The difficulties that the tree grow
ers In western North Dakota have to
contend with can be summed up in
the one phrase. lack Of moisture. The
distribution of forests depends almost
wholly upon the supply Of moisture in
the soil. Ordinary forest trees are
supposed to require an annual rainfall
Of about 20 inches to make satisfac-
tory growth and rapid growth re-
quires even considerably larger
amount. This would seem to indicate
that tree growing could never be sue
cessfully carried on In regions like
that found in western North Dakota.
Fortunately, however. there are meth
DDS of conserving the soil moisture so
that q rainfall less than 20 inches
will make good tree growth IL the
right kinds of trees are selected.
There are trees like the maple and
Eastwood which give off from the
leaves large amount of moisture and
these can only be grown where the
water supply Is abundant and unfail-
ing. On the other hand we find trees
particularly in the drier regions whose
leaf structure Is such that they give
of relatively small amount of mois-
ture. These are the trees that must
eventually go to make up our tree
plantation in the western part Of the
state. The most notable example of
this type of trees is the western yell
low or bull pine, known also as the
ponderosa pine. This has the distinc-
ton Of being the only pine tree that
grows wild in North Dakota. In the
southwestern part of the state there
are six specimens that have attained
the height of 20 feet and diameter
of 21a feet. This is the tree that
grows so extensively over the state of
Montana, where it is known as the
most valuable native timber tree. 1t
is also the tree which the government
has planted so extensively on the
western plains during the last ten
years. It's rate of growth depends on
the moisture, but with fairly moist
soil 1t will make a growth from one
to two feet each year. In starting
this tree 1t is necessary to begin with
plants not more than a foot in height
nor more than four years Old The
government uses chiefly three-year:old
"transplants." These are plants which
have been grown two years in a seed
bed and one year in nursery row.
They have small top but usually a
large fibrous root. These should be
set about six feet apart each way in
soil which has been we'll prepared
They should be set in the latter part
of May or Just as the new growth is
beginning.
1t is very good practise to shade the
young trees for the first year. or until
the roots get good hold of the SOIL
This may be done by pressing pieces
of burlap over stakes that are driven
close to the tree. To prevent the es.
cape of moisture from the soil 1t
should be covered as soon as the trees
are planted with three or four inches
of half rotted straw or chaff In cases
where this Is not possible the land
must be kept constantly cultivated. 1t
Is poor practise to leave the ground
bare during the winter and that ia
one Of the strongest reasons for keep.
ing mulch about the trees It Is also
q good plan to grow strip of corn
on the north side Of the trees. as this
aids In holding the snow about them
during the winter. The corn IL, OF
course. left standing. After the trees
once get their roots down to a depth
Of one or two feet 80 that they can
keep themselves supplied with az
much moisture az is evaporated from
the leaves they require no more atten
ton than an ordinary tree. While
most Of the broad leaved trees require
more moisture than the bullpine, still
there are few that will grow under
dry conditions. The most valuable Of
these is the native or green ash which
is found growing wild wherever tim
Der is found in North Dakota. It |.
not rapid grower. but under fair con
ditions makes growth of something
over foot each year and this growtl
. is continued for long period. Thes'
trees may be set two by eight fee
apart and given such mulching an,
: cultivation as will keep the soil me
low and moist. Another tree which 1
grown largely for wind breaks in west
ern Nebraska and which will endur
cold. drought and alkaN soil Is tn
! Russian wild olive. This rarely al
/, tains height Of more than thirty o
5 forty feet and is used chiefly for win
j. breaks.
After any of the trees attain a su
ficient size so that they shade tn
ground they will require but littl
further attention. although it is a
:, excellent plan to keep the groun
u mulched with oldstraw az long as on
q retains any interest in his trees.
Poultry In New Jersey.
y Out of less than $4,000 farms |
l, New Jersey there are 1000 on whic
3, poultry raising is carried on in