The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-06-21
RAISE FOREST
IN Sand HILLS
Big Reforestation Campaign Is
Under Way in Western Sec
ton of Nebraska.
FIND RIGHT KIND OF TREE
Completed Work Calls for Planting of
5000, 100000 Pine Trees-Land
No Good for Farms so 1t Was
Made Into National Forest.

-
along the Dismal river, one of the most
stupendous public works eve under
taken in this country is getting under
way. 1t is the reforestation ol the
sand hills, and the completed work
calls for the planting of 3,0OO.000.0oO
pine trees in Il section of the country
where no trees have been known 10
grow. In the next six weeks more
than a million and a half Western
yellow pine and jack pine sprouts will
be planted in the reservation, which is
known as the Nebraska National
forest.
For thirty-fiye years efforts to grow
trees have been made on these hills by
the owners of the cattle ranches which
dot that section, and for twenty years
u scientific campaign to make that
country into a great national forest
has been made, but not until this year
has the idea gotten down to a real
working basis. AT the present time
fifty men and the necessary horses and
tractors are doing nothing but plant
ing young trees. For the neXt six
weeks they will devote full time to it.
Then the work must wait until next
year.
One thousand acres this year will be
planted with 100000 young trees. The
Nebraska National forest consists of
205,000 acres, which were withdrawn
from the public domain in 1902. Ne
braskans %laughingly remark the tract
was called a forest because in all
the 100000 acres there was not "a
single tree of any description.
Trees Would Not Grow.
The sandhills of western Nebraska
are just what their name implies. They
are partially covered with a sort of
grass, especially in the small valleys.
The country cannot be farmed. So the
very toughest portion was segregated
and made into a forest"
But trees would not grow when
planted. Thousands and thousands of
young pine, spruce and other similar
trees were brought from Wisconsin
and Minnesota and We're planted on
the hills. They promptly died. Differ
ent species We're obtained from the
mountains, but they also died. Trees
were brought from still other sections
of the country and were planted, but
they all went the same way. Then
those In charge of the project de
fnrIn1nnd fn O1nU a frDD thnf NEnDIh
thrive under sandhill conditions. So
they established the "Bessey" nursery
named after DIR. Charles L. Bessey,
the famous botanist.
For eighteen years the experts have
worked at producing a tree which
would measure up to their necessities,
and they have developed a hardy class
Of nursery stock which they have
proved will grow and thrive In the
very sandiest portion of the sandhills.
Trees from the Bessey nursery now
are being transplanted out onto the
hills and are "making good"
Preparing the Soil.
To eliminate the competition for
moisture by the native vegetation n
deep furrow is plowed, and in the
cotton of this furrow a specially de
signed pillow makes a suitable trench,
in which the young trees are set, and
The sand is tramped down tightly
about the tree roots. The surface of
the sand becomes very dry, but the
moisture Is retained deep down where
the roots of the young trees are
tamped down. The number of trees
which died is very small compared
with the total number planted out.
The early paintings of the developed
stock have flourished, many of the
trees now being thirty feet or more In
height. The original heavy stand of
grass on the ground has given way to
a thick floor of ~decaylng pine needles,
which, it Is expected, will materially
change and improve the character of
the soil. AS high as so per cent, of the
trees planted in some years have lived.
The average is between go per cent
and 70 per cent.
The ranchers in the sand hills have
taken up the idea of reforestation, and
there is scarcely a cattle ranch within
fifty miles of the national forest that
has not planted a windbreak or a wood
ut. Each year since 1912, when seed.
lings became available, the government
has given free to the ranehers as many
of the acclimated trees as they would
agree to plant and care for. AS a re
suit the whole character of the DIES.
pissed sand hills" is gradually under
going a change, and it Is expected in
time that the terrific winds which
heretofore have swept the hills with.
out interference will be much TEN.
pered.
When the project is completed the
Nebraska National forest will be one
of the very largest bodies of artificial