The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-07-08
Trees for Prairies

value OF trees on the prairie: in fact,
it is scarcely possible to do so. The
factors that bear upon this question
are many and in some respects they
are interminable, for their exact
measure cannot be taken. 1t may not
be possible to reduce to dollars and
cents the value of trees grown and
turned into lumber, or of trees grown
and made into fence posts, but it is
possible to take the exact measure of
the value Of the shelter which they
furnish to the home or of the benefit
which comes from the protection
which they give to the fruit trees and
fruit in areas which are encircled by
1ec.s Nor is it possible to known
just how much benefit comes from
the birds that they provide homes for
The value of trees for lumber under
prairie conditions is not we'll under
stood. The plantations put out for
that purpose have been few and in
stances where they have been har-
vested for lumber have been fewer
still. But there are a few instances
on record in which cottonwood trees
made into lumber have in twenty-five
to thirty year made so much growth
that the lumber obtained from them
vas found to be worth more than the
value of all the wheat or grain that
could have been obtained from the
land, had these been grown on it for
successive years during the entire
period in which it was occupied by
the trees. In addition considerable
wood was also obtained.
The protection furnished the home
has of course an exceeding value,
though it cannot be measured in dol
lars and cents. Comfort in life is
worth more than money without COM
fort. The value of comfort cannot
be measured, it is so high. Think of
the difference in comfort of a man
whose home is encircled with trees
through which the storm cannot break
or through which the cold, cutting,
cruel fierce wind cannot blow. Think
of the difference which it makes to
the animals that are protected from
it's full sweep. There is something
ennobling and commanding in the
thought that man may thus harness
l,o Gil IF fr otfnnt-
lively curb the fury of the forces that
are boisterous. Life must be shorn
of many Of it's charms when the in
mates of a home have 10 protection
from the fury of the winter winds.
The value of trees in protecting
fruit is very great. In some instances
it means the difference between sue
cess and failure in growing fruits.
Apple trees, for instance, will fail to
grow in places unprotected, while
they will do well in protected places.
Even though the trees should grow
and thrive and bear in places where
the wind is strong, the fruit in such
exposures would be whipped off the
trees.
There are places where raspberries
will not prove satisfactory, as where
the strong sunshine in the spring is
not kept away from them by the
shade of trees.
There are many areas where straw
berries unprotected will not set run
ners properly because of the action of
the winds. When the protection is
furnished, there is, Of course, no
trouble from this source.
That birds will increase as groves
increase is foregone conclusion.
That they should increase is greatly
to be desi red. The increase of birds
means corresponding decrease Of in
sect pests.
Could the increase of birds be made
sufficient they could take care Of the
insects or at least many species OF
them that harm the farmer. These
enliven the groves with their song.
They are the friends OF the farmer
and he ought to give them every
chance.
There are other benefits that come
from the trees They furnish Shade
for live stock when the grove is prop
erly planted. This in itself is a
mighty consideration when the mid
summer sun wakes warm. They check
the forces of the wind in summer and
because of this they exercise a salu-
tary influence on crop production be-
cause of the extent to which they
check evaporation. When one con-
siders the many benefits that trees
bring to him who plants them on the
prairie, it is surprising that they are
not planted by every resident who
owns a farm.
The celebration at Quinn took a