Planting Techniques and Care

such material, take out thick pieces, and turning them grass side down, drop seed in each place, distributing it over the whole surface, so that when in the future, plants have to be set out in their places, those left in the original spot are not injured. In case the ground is not covered with sod, loosen the soil before dropping seed. The young plants should be closely watched, so that they may not be overgrown by weeds, or become too much crowded. Cattle should not be allowed upon the ground until the plants have grown. The outer edges should be very thickly planted, that the wind may be kept from blowing away the leaves and the carbonic acid. If some trees, which are naturally of slow growth, should die, fill their places by others of the same size, or if smaller, of faster growing species, so that their growth may soon become equal to that of those around them, and no openings be left for the entrance of the rays of the sun or the wind. C. FORESTS OP THE THIRD CLASS. If enough trees are left to supply seed for the ground by the next good seed year, loosen the earth beneath the seed-bearing trees, to prepare it for the reception of the seed, and then look out for the necessary cover. At the same time, clear away the under-growing shrubbery, enough to let in a sufficiency of air and light. As soon as enough young trees are grown up, cut the old and look to the proper distribution of the young plants over the whole ground, which shall be covered by forest growth. --23-- d. FORESTS OF THE FOURTH CLASS. The management of these strips is quite easy and the retaining of them is of very great importance. During heavy rains, or at the sudden melting of the snow in the spring, the rivers rise rapidly and overflow their banks, washing away the soil from them, and sometimes changing their very beds, if there is nothing to prevent them. The roots of such trees as grow along river banks are great preventa- tives to such occurrences, or at least hinder the waters from washing away the soil to a great extent. It is therefore needful to keep along- the banks a continual growth of such trees as take deep roots, and to replace the old by voung, before the former come to full maturity. The waters of rivers usually carry along in their current much of the seed of forest trees which has ripened upon their banks at one place and deposit it at other points further down. It is afterwards considerably scattered about by the wind, when the ground has become dry. It sprouts, and the places where it is deposited are soon covered with a growth of young trees. e. FORESTS OF THE FIFTH CLASS. The soil in places, covered by these forests is in general quite poor in quality from the nature of the case, since the few miserable trees which are with difficulty growing, can give but little hinderance to the free access of jun and wind. If the right attention had been given them, and the work of nature assisted instead of being neglected and abused, reward awaited the owner, who, by following a course guided only by blindeness, has now a lot of nearly worthless land. Such land might have considerable value if it had been cleared for the raising of farm crops in due time, but in its A present exhausted condition, it has none worthy of mention. gradual improvement of such places, by planting them thickly with those kinds of trees which grow readily and rapidly, such as Aspen, Poplar, Cottonwood and the like, and cutting them down so that they may be renewed at such intervals, is the best course to pursue. The soil when so improved, may be planted afterwards with trees more valuable. f. FORESTS OF THE SEXTH CLASS. Those areas of forests contain such large tracts of land that they cannot be easily handled by any one man, or even by a small community. They generally belong to the state or government and must be managed on a broader basis than those which we have so far considered, if it is the intention that they remain permanent forests. It requires a full and systematic division of the territory according to the classification of the different kinds of soil, the quantity and quality of the standing timber, the facilities for its transportation, and the denominating and selection of such as shall --24-- grow there in future. In carrying out this plan a careful survey must be made of all the different grades of soil comprised in the area with particular reference to timbei culture. The forests which at present are standing must be classified and an accurate description of the timber made, as to. its age, quantity, quality, annual increase in growth, and all rivers running through them, adjoining cities, villages, railroad stations, &c, must be located and then replanted anew accordingly. CHAPTER VI. TREATMENT OP FORESTS IN THIS AND OTHER COUNTRIES. The inhabitants of Germany in oldentimes esteemed forests most highly, not for the timber and fuel, but for the protection which they afforded them against enemies, as hunting places, as places in which to worship and offer sacrifices to their God, and finally as their homes. Of the danger connected with attacking them in their safe asylums, the usually victorious Romans had ample proof at the bloody battle in the Teutoburger Wald, where they were met by the Germans under the leadership of the great hero Herman. In those times the forests, like the air find water, belonged to all people in common. Whoever cleared any part of them for a field or meadow became by that act owner of that property and in this manner originated land ownership in Germany. Such a practice exists even up to the present day in some parts of South America. Later on this land-ownership was extended to larger tracts of woodland and the freemen, and more especially the nobles, took into their possession large areas of forests, which were situated near their farms and so became their owners. The French Emperors also took possession of extensive forests and the officers of King Charles the Great were required to give an annual account of the condition of the forests in his dominions, and he gave rules to his subjects in regard to their management, which ordinances were promulgated under the title : "Capitulare Carolis Magni de Villis." In order to preserve the forests against law breakers, he appointed two classes of overseers. Those of the first class were denominated "Wood, Game and Forest Counts" and were officers of authority, ranking among the nobles. The second class consisted of freemen, called "Wood Messengers." The duty of both was to look after the game, and to take a general oversight of the forests. The little value of wood in Germany, as late as the twelfth century ia shown by an ordinance which appeared in the Cloister Mauermunster about --26-- the year 1144, in reference to the burning of charcoal. Whoever desired to burn it in his forests, was obliged to pay for the permit, at Easter of each year, one hen aDd five eggs to the Cloister. In consideration of this, he was allowed to use as much wood as he desired for one charcoal kiln, and to take it in whatever place he chose; and not only was he permitted to use it for charcoal burning and fuel, but also for building purposes. But for the last mentioned purpose, he was required to consult the game keeper. But notwithstanding the great extent of the forests at that time, and the small value of wood, any person found guilty of wantonly destroying them, was subject to the most severe punishment. So a law was enacted, that, whoever set fire to the forests, should be bound hand and foot, and drawn three times through the fire; this being considered an expiration of his crime, should he survive. As late as the beginning of the sixteenth century, the German forests were in the main only important to their owners as hunting grounds. The wood had still very little value, excepting in those places where mining and ship-building were carried on. At this time the first "Forest Orders" were given: not with the expectation of any revenue being derived from the forests, but merely as a preventative against their destruction. After the thirty years's war, and the Weatphalien treaty in 1648, everything was changed. The great expense which had accompanied so lasting a war, had, as a natural consequence, brought much financial embarrassment upon the country. Besource was at once had to the forests as means of revenue, and more rational and economical management of them agreed upon. But the executors of the orders were entirely ignorant of forest culture, and having mostly just returned from the battle fields, paid more attention to hunting than to the culture of trees and managemet of the forest. During the latter part of the eighteenth century however, from gross carlessness in their management, and more particularly on account of the large increase in population and industries, and the turning over of large tracts into fields, the forests had disappeared to an alarming extent and the scarcity of wood was felt. Political economists, supported by Frederick the Great, began to adopt measures to avert the impending calamity. Their attention was not only given to the government forests, but also by state regulation to private woods. The forests had another important mission in the household of nature, besides the production of wood. That the government forests should not be managed solely with the aim of deriving direct financial benefit therefrom, that a certain portion of the country should be given up to forests, and their care intrusted to some one who should manage them in a manner conducive to the best interests of the country. Further, and for that pur- --27-- pose, a forest training school was established for the education of men who intended to serve as government forest officers. The state forests were accordingly surveyed, valued in regard to soil and quality of timber on hand, the annual growth of the same being ascertained and divided into blocks, and the whole area again into iorest districts of convenient size, to be managable by one head officer, as district officer. Each officer of a district was provided with a description of it, as to the quality and properties of the soil, with reference to tree culture and with charts; one showing its outside limits and other necessary effects of his area; another, the different kinds of wood, in colors and their age at the present time, and finally, one which showed the condition in which that part of the forest may be expected to be after, say forty years from date. Besides this was shown the quantity to be cut annually and brought upon the market, which consists of an amount equal to that which the area gains annually by growth, if the forest be managed after the plan of the head department. Comparatively speaking, the interest, (yearly growth) only, was to be used, the capital remaining intact for the benefit of future gen- erations as well as for the present. In carrying out the work above described, it is evident that a vast amount of knowledge, practical and theoretical, is required, and that all the benefits to be gained from properly managed forests, cannot be realized, if their care be left entirely to private individuals. France sold her forests to private individuals, and her people are yet suffering from this act. She pursued the policy that all trade and business is most profitable and safest in private hands, not considering that the care of forests is of an entirely different nature from any other business. Germany, on the other hand, guarded her forests and succeeded in saving them and at the present day the Germans hold them in the highest estimation, having inherited this reverence from their ancesters. The following are the causes which have resulted in the preservation and maintenance of the German forests: 1. The economical use which was made of them. 2. The continuous passing of laws by the government in regard to forests and their uses, and their strict enforcement. 3. The replacing of trees which had been cut down, and the turning of such fields into forests as had proved to be unfit for agriculture. 4. The excellent forest police order and the strict guard which waa kept against fire. 5. The government control of the private, church and domain forests. 6. The preventing of the pasturing of cattle and sheep among the young growth of trees. 7. And last but not least, for the reason that so large an area was under the direct administration of the government, as government forests. Naturally the question arises : "Has anything of a like nature, and tending toward the same ends ever been done in the United States?" No. How long shall this continue? The boasting remark is made: "As the demand increases and the supply be lacking, this thoroughly alive and intelligent people will find means and pass laws to replace the forest." But the building of a railroad, factory, or any other work of great magnitude which lays in human power to accomplish, is a different matter from the growing of forests, since trees cannot be made to follow human law in their development, but will grow but slowly in conformity of the decree of nature. CHAPTER VII. PREPARING SOILS FOR SEEDS OP FORESTS. The more thoroughly and carefully the soil is worked, the better will be the growth of all productions of the farm and garden, and the more beautiful will be the harvest. But what is of such great necessity on the farm and in the garden, is a curse to the forest. It was for a long time claimed by many so called authorities on forest culture that the same system, which was useful to follow in one case, must be of advantage in the other, and the thorough working of the soil for the reception of the seeds of forest trees was practiced the same as for other crops. But after many failures in places so worked, from the rapid drying up of the soil thus loosened, and the consequently drying up of the thinly covered seeds, as soon as they had sprouted and before they had received a sufficient amount of moisture to enable them to send forth their roots, this custom of working the soil was abandoned and declared not practical. Furthermore, the forester has to deal with localities, where the loosening of the soil renders it almost certain to be washed away, together with the seed which has been planted, and in other places neither the plow nor the harrow could be used at all. The foresters in Europe long ago gave up the practice of seeding the whole area upon which a forest was to be grown, but adopted the more rational system of raising the plants in a nursery or in so-called seed-beds at such parts of the forest as they should be needed when the trees which were growing, should be cut down. By this means the young trees have a few years start. The great advantage of the method when compared with seeding the whole place can readily be seen. Since it will be quite a long time before any return can be realized from the money invested, we should practice as much economy as possible without defeating our main object of gaining a good yield. As most of the --30-- plants grow very slowly in their infancy, it will therefore take several years before they cover the ground and stop the entrance of the scorching rays of the sun and the wind. The deeply loosened soil will have sent to the universe a large amount of organic deposits before the roots of the young plants can make much use of them. But if we first plant in the nursery and then in transplanting, only loosen the soil just enough for the purpose of setting and starting them well, we cause thereby a covering of the ground more quickly by some two or three years and at the same time prevent the growth of weeds, which are always showing themselves where the soil has been worked. If we plant some fine, small seed of forest trees in well loosened soil, the action of the frost may do great injury in drawing the young plants, as we can see in the case of our winter wheat. The loosening and preparing of the ground in places where we are obliged to use the method of seeding instead of planting, should only be so much as to enable the seed to have a good bed and a fit place for its future growth. Different systems must be used for different localities, which must be left to the judgement of the tree cultivator. Of course ground which never before has been broken, must be enough cultivated to give the soil the necessary sweetness. CHAPTER VIII. SELECTION OF SEEDS. Should the farmer be able to gather his own seed, he should observe the following rules 1. Seed should only be taken from well matured, well shaped and healthy trees, as when obtained from others it is either of poor quaility or worthless. 2. Those trees which stand singly produce the best seed. 3. Since the first seed which drops is usually affected by worms, or is I for some other reason unfit for use, it should be picked up before the good and well ripened begins to fall, that the two may not be mixed, while again the last dropping seed is generally of an inferior quality. 4. All seeds should be dried sufficiently to prevent heating; therefore the sweating process is necessary before they are stored away, but great pains should be taken to avoid burning them, which may be prevented by repeatedly turning them over. CHAPTER IX. ADVANTAGES OF A NURSERY. The advantages of starting the plants in your own nursery: 1. We can take better care of them upon a small bed than when scattered over many acres, by weeding, watering and sheltering them from hostile influences, and therefore the plants will be stronger and healthier and consequently better able to overcome the often unfavorable conditions under which they must grow on the open prairie, than those which are weak and sickly, and have been crippled in the germ. 2. In transplanting we can give to each plant the required room and. good soil, and keep them better protected from the heat of the sun. We 3. have the use of a large area for the production of other crops, while the young trees are growing in this small space. 4. By planting in this manner we shall have greater certainty of suc- cess than in seeding on a large scale, and it the trees are small when trans- planted and set out in land very near their original bed, failure is almost impossible. Has the nursery been well cared for during the second year, as much ground sown to nursery as in the first year, and so on yearly, enough plants for setting out on five acres of ground each year, until the whole forty acres are covered by the young forest can be obtained. CHAPTER X. KESULTS PROM INCREASE OP POPULATION. What influence will the increase of population, development of indus- tries, the extensive mining of mineral and coal and finally the yearly building of railroads, and thereby increase of traffic and commerce have upon the future requirements of the forests? As activity in every branch of trade depends upon and is more or less guided by existing conditions, so also should the manufacturing wood products. The forester in reference to the requirements of the time or market will adopt a course more in harmony with our progressive age and the unfolding history of the human race. The chief points for consideration's the rapid increase of population, the fast developing industries, the discovery and mining of unlimited quantities of coal and the unparalled building and extension of railroads, consequently increase of traffic and commerce. The increase of population is a well known fact, and as a necessary consequence, the consumption of wood is growing every day. Owing to the abundant supply of coal, the consumption of wood for fuel must of course in a certain degree diminish and prices become lower, and the forester, or so long as there is no forester, the farmer must be guided by this fact in managing his forests, to plant such trees as at maturity will have a value in the markets. Steam furnishes a great motive power for the machinery, and were it possible to make use of wood alone in supplying and feeding this great motor, it is evident the time would have already arrived where not a stick would be left in the country and therefore the great im- portance of coal cannot be over estimated. The extensive use of wood in the preparation of charcoal will in the future be greatly diminished, since coke will take its place, except in --34-- places where wood is very abundant and cheap, and charloal cannot be utilized near wh'ere it was made. It is by all means probable that hereafter the owner of woods and the tree cultivator will attend to the production of timber as alone profitable, and only of such timber which is liable to fail soonest, namely, spruce and pine* CHAPTER XI. PRODUCTION OF TIMBER. To produce valuable timber we must understand how to do it. The farmer, upon whom so much depends, usually raises on his land the wood which he may need for many mechanical purposes and for fuel. Those purposes are widely different in their nature and kind, and so must also be their woods planted and cultured. The new forests, to meet the require- ments of the future, should be of a different nature from those at present existing. The trees should be all straight, with trunks like candles, without branches until reaching a point at least fifty feet from the ground when matured, so as to give from 90 to 95 per cent, of their wood for timber. Two possibilities must be taken into consideration. Whether we have to deal with forests which are already in existence, or to plant new ones; and the following suggestions are given for the benefit of those who are unacquainted as to soil, situation, moisture, climate, &c. Instructions and directions: On entering a tract of land of 160 acres, with the intention of devoting one-fourth, (40 acres) to forest culture, first examine and from it select that portion most unfit for tilling and divide the remainder to the best advantage for the various crops, which it is desirable should be raised upon it. The condition of the vegetation and the degree of luxurience in its growth, or the greenness of the sod, and the nature of the ground, whether even or broken, will serve as guides in the examination, and determine as to the place of the grove. If there is no difference of quality in the soil, a place should be chosen where the trees, when growing, may afford a shelter to crops against the prevailing winds. The leaning of single standing trees, to one or the other part of the horizon, will aid us in arriving at a coDclusion in regard to this point. In order to be successful, a knowledge of the varieties of soil and change of climate is essential, which can be ob- tained by observing the growing upon your neighbor's land. The next --3G-- thing is the preparation of a strip of land, in the most sheltered part, and if possible, near the water, as a nursery for the production and starting of the plants required. The following spring, having obtained some good seed, plant it there in rows like peas or beans. If the seeds are large, they must be covered to a considerable depth, but if small, but lightly. Acorns should be covered to a depth of from three to four inches, and other nuts three inches. Maple and Ash seed, over half an inch, and in general small seeds a little more than their thickness. It is very important that the earth should be pushed down quite heavily upon the seed which has been planted, with the back of an iron rake or like instrument, that a drill may be kept over it, sunk a little below the surface of the ground, for the better retaining of the moisture. The seeding should be done early in the spring and the young plants shaded from the sun, especially Spruce and White Spruce, but the shade should be gradually diminished as the plants grow older and less delicate, that they may become used to their future situation. Since the trees raised in the nursery should be transplanted when two years old, they may be, especially the Evergreens, planted quite thickly in the seed bed. Yellow Pine and European Larch need very little if any shading. Af- ter the seed has been sown, it is only necessary to keep down the weeds and water the ground when very dry. The watering should be done in the morning, not very frequently, but thoroughly. If the seed has been good and the watering not neglected, at least during the period of germination, plants thus raised will thrive much better than those brought from other places, which latter suffer from exposure to the sun and wind, and besides, have in general, been raised in a different soil and climate from that in which they must exist in future. It is important that the seed drills should be situated upon level ground, so that the � seeds may not be liable to be laid bare or washed out by the rain. CHAPTER XII. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED IN FORESTRY. The recommendation to keep the land upon which forests grow, protected from the sun and wind, is based both upon science and experience. Many, who are in other respects, very practical farmers, are always thinning out their groves and cutting oif branches as high up as they can reach, claiming that trees grow much better when thus exposed to atmospheric influences than when too much shaded. Farmers who use lime upon their fields for any great length of time for fertilizing purposes are doing to those fields very nearly the same thing, as these others just mentioned, are doing to their forests in thinning them out and allowing too much sun and air to enter. It is a property of lime to decompose vegetable and animal matter contained in the soil, and prepare them for immediate digestion for plants; in other words, it prepares food for plants much more quickly than the tooth of time, the atmosphere, would accomplish the same result. The growth of plants is therefore much more rapid when lime is made use of as a dressing, but can the fact be disputed by any reasonable-minded individual, that there must be a correspondingly rapid exhaustion of the soil? Hence we have an explana tion of the old saying: "Lime makes rich fathers, but poor children." Something similar takes place in the forest when the earth has been suddenly exposed to the influence of the sun and the oxygen of the atmosphere. The decay of the organic deposits is hastened, and so long as this takes place and the supply lasts, the trees will grow with increased vigor, but when these are exhausted, there will be an immediate reaction ; they will become stunted. Frequently the farmer, misled by the luxurient growth of forest trees, cuts them down and turns the woodlands into cultivated fields, only to ftnd hi* cj^tfldcnce betrayed and hones futile, when, after a few years, the -- 8S-- vegetable deposits left by the trees, having been used up, these fields refuse to yield the expected returns, since the soil is only adapted to the production of trees, and that only so long as they themselves kept it in proper condition for that purpose. It is therefore necessary to thoroughly examine the soil before such a radical change is made and to give to the field what belongs to the field, and to the forest what belongs to the forest Large areas of forest have the same influence upon the moisture of the atmosphere as a large area of water surface, since both keep the suft-ounding air moist. Small groves cannot retain this moisture as well as large forests, and it is therefore profitable for farmers to associate themselves to- gether so that their tracts of forest may lie contiguous on the section line. Thus for instance, six farmers might agree to each have forty acres along the northern limits of their farms, for forest growth, in which case they will all have a fine shelter against the north winds, as well as a solid piece of forest, consisting of 240 acres. Again, if those occupying the opposite section should do the same thing, all will not only have protection from the north winds, but also those dwelling on the north will get moist air from the forests of their neighbors on the south, instead of having their crops damaged by those dry winds which usually blow in the months of July and August. --ijy-- CHAPTER XIII. SELECTION OF TREES. The soil necessary for the growth of trees, and different other matters pertaining to it, must be earnestly considered to avoid expensive experi- ments. In selecting trees for any locality, observe -what species are already growing there, either by new planting or by natural process. The follow- ing trees have stood the test and will serve the purpose for which they are intended, as forming the forests of the future a. DECIDUOUS OR SUMMERGREEN. English Name. Botanical Name. White Oak. Quercus alba. Burr Oak. Quercus macrocarpa. Swamp white Oak. Quercus bicolor. Black Oak. Quercus tinctoria. Scarlet Oak. Quercus coccinea. Red Oak. Quercus rubra. Hickory, scaly bark. Carya alba. Hickory, white. Carya tomentosa. Hickory, red or pignut. Carya porcina. Hickory, bitternut. Carya amara. Walnut, black. Juglans nigra. Butternut. Juglans cinerea. Maple, sugar. Acer saccharinum. Maple, soft Acer platanoides. Ash, white. Fraxinus alba Americana. Ash, black. Fraxinus sambucifolia. Ash, blue. Elm, white. Elm, red or slippery. Fraxinus gaadrangulata. Ulmus Americana. Ulmus ful7�v. --40-- Linden or basswood. Tilia Americana. Hackberry. Celtis occidentalis crassifolia. Beech, red. Fagus sylvatica and ferruginea. Beach, white, (hoophornbeam.) Locust, yellow, and varieties. Carpinus, Americana or betula alba. Acacia robiniana. White Birch. Betula alba. Black Birch. Betula lenta. Red Birch. Betula rubra. Alder, common. Alnus communis or glabra,. Chesnut, eatable fruit. Castanea vesca. Platanus or white wood, also Sycamore. b. r Platanus occidentals. EVERGREENS OR CONIFERS. English Name. Botanical Name. Spruce, Norway. Abies excels*. White Spruce. Abies alba. Spruce of Rocky mountain. Picea nobilis. Pine, southern yellow. Pinus australis. Pine, black Austrian. Pinus nigra Austriac*. Pine, Scotch. Pine, Weymoth or whit J. Pinus Sylvestris. Pinus strobus. Larch, European. Pinus larix Europaea. Red Cedar. Juniperus virginiana. The requirements and propagation of the aforenamed trees art?: The White Oak. This tree has a wide distribution and grows to a great size, attaining under favorable conditions a height of 100 feet, and remains green for centuries, but it will become hollow in old age. Trees from three to four feet in diameter are not rare. It exists and grows in great varieties of soil and situations, but with very different results. It prefers situations at or near the foot of hills, and for radid growth a rich loose loomy soil and a deep subsoil, but does quite well in that which is sandy and mixed with organic matter if moist and not shallow. In thin soil or on high mountains, it never reaches perfection, but grows hollow and the top dies. The Burr Oak. This tree differs very little in its requirements and usefulness from the former, but will grow quite well on the edges of swamps yet it does not attain the dimensions of the preceeding. The Swamp White Oak. Forms quite a tall tree and prefers low ground. It must be cultivated as explained by the White and Burr Oak. The Black Oak. Is a fast growing but short lived tree, producing a mass of branches which soon die from below. It does well in a crowded condition. It grows on rich and poor soil, but of course with different -41-- results. It must be cultivated in the same manner as the two species first mentioned. Scarlet Oak. This tree grows in moist soils, but as it does not attain a large size, therefore its culture should be limited to the above named localities. Hickory, scaly bark. This tree is easily satisfied with the soil, if it is only deep, and for the production of nuts, a rich soil should not be selected. Trees growing in a forest in a crowded condition are not likely to bear fruit; they should stand singly to give them the room needed for this purpose. They grow to a large size if on proper soil, and if timber is the aim, should be crowded to make them grow tall instead of spreading, and with branchless trunks. The cultivation is a little difficult, as the nuts refuse to sprout when planted. The best results may be expected if they are planted in a nursery close together, soon alter they fall in October, three inches deep and covered with a layer of leaves a few inches thick and transplanted the second year, wherever wanted, as later the top root is too long and difficult to handle. Great care must be taken that this root is set to its full length in the earth, without allowing it to bend in the least. However, in places where the ground remains moist in the summer, much larger trees can be transplanted and their top roots cut off during the process, without doing any particular damage, but in dry places this practice must not be followed. White Hickory. This tree grows best and supplies the best wood if planted on high and quite dry places, among other trees. It does not at- tain the dimensions of the former, either in height or thickness. Plant the same as above and transplant among other trees. Red Hickory, and Bitternut Hickory. Both the above are less val- uable, do not grow to great thickness, and may be sprinkled among other trees in a forest, where they keep up in height to them. They do not form large tops when crowded and can grow quite close together. Black Walnut. In order to have fine, branchless trunks, the young trees should be planted quite close together, about four feet apart each way. It is no use to try to raise them on poor soil, as they will not repay the labor unless planted in a rich, deep calcareous loam which contains an abundance of vegetable muck, (humus). In low lands, where soil has been washed in, they will grow to a height of from eighty to one hundred feet, with from fifty to seventy teet of branchless trunks.. They will also grow with other trees on high ground, after these have deposited enough organic matter, and the subsoil is good and dee}). The timber of those growing on high land is harder than that of others, as being closer grained, but the time of harvesting them is delayed, provided a certain thickness of trunk is desired, as they grow but slowly. They will --42-- reach an age of eighty years in perfect health, but after that will begin to lose their vigor. The Black "Walnut, as well as the Butternut, can be transplanted when six inches in diameter for ornamental trees, but as their folliage is rather thin, especially as they approach maturity, and they do not live to a great age, they are not very desirable for shade, besides both are great cross- feeders and their leaves injure the grass where they fall, so that cattle will not eat it. They should not be planted around houses or in pastures. If it is desired to raise them for their nuts they may be set in the rear of houses or in barn-yards. Butternut or White Walnut, is not so valuable a tree as the foregoing,. nor does it grow to so great a height. It grows best on river banks, but does quite well on higher ground. When standing alone, it occupies a large space with its wide-spreading branches. All the nut-bearing trees which we have described, have compound leaves which very nearly resem- ble those of the Ash. If the seeds (nuts) are kept in the house during the winter, they become too dry and refuse to sprout or germinate when plant- ed. The best way to preserve them is to put them in sand in the cellar, or cover them with leaves in the open ground. Mice and squirrels must be kept away. The uncertainty of their germinating makes it advisable to plant them in the nursery and transplant them when two years old. Sugar, or Hard Maple. This is the best known tree in the country where it grows, and deserves its prestige fully, not only for the sugar obtained from it, but for its fine wood. Maple sugar is too well known to need any description, as is also the value of its wood for fuel, to most people, as it commands the highest price in the market. The timber is much used for cabinet work, and for this purpose the trees should be cut down below the stumps, since the lower part is often of more value than all the rest of the tree, on account of its beautiful speckles, or s^ota,. so desirable for ornamenting furniture, &c. The Sugar Maple grows best in low lands, but will do very well on. mountains, and as it gives an abundant shade and a great mass of leaves, which decay rapidly, it improves the soil greatly and prepares a good bed for its followers. The young plants thrive better when shaded, but as such shade cannot be had upon a large area, it is best, as a rule to start them in a nursery and not to transplant till they are two years old. The seed ripens at the end of September and during October, and can be gathered easily. If it is to be saved until sjiring, it may be collected, and, after be- ing turned over to keep it from sweating or heating in the beginning, hurried in moist sand with which well mixed it must be planted early in the spring. If preserved in the