'J I.--- '
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13be Conservative.
TKII : : IM.AXTINC : Those of us who
IN x unit ASK A. came to Nebraska
soon after the extinguishment of the In
dian title lands , by act of congress , May
! ! 0 , 1854 , in what had hitherto been
known only as the "Territory of the
Northwest , " scarce entertained a
thought , even , of planting trees in the
then treeless prairie region , extending
from the Missouri river on the east , to
the base of the Rocky mountains on the
west.
On the rich Missouri river bottom
lands were large bodies of valuable na
tive timber. Also a limited supply of
less value , along its principal tributaries
for short distances west.
For a few years , nearly all first settle
ments in Nebraska were made directly
on the Missouri river and entrances of
, v. the leading tributaries. But little atten
tion was then given for the morrow , in
so far as timber supply was concerned.
It was not known if the early adventur
ers could remain permanently , or not.
Therefore it was taken for granted that
the timber supply was equal to the de
mand , and would remain so for years toO
"
* O * come.
The onward march of emigration to
the new west , however , soon demonstrated -
.
< * ! > - , .
strated that the upland prairie lands
were susceptible of occupancy and must
" " bo utilized. At once the timber ques
tion was a confronting one. Western
* enterprise was not sluggard in solving
the problem. Tests were made out on
the open praries away from streams and
their climatic influences. Success fol
lowed efforts , and soon the process of
tree planting was under way.
The Nebraska Territorial , afterwards
State , Board of Agriculture , 'among its
annual premiums , offered liberally for
trees planted whore none had grown be
fore. Through this organization , voiced
by J. Sterling Morton , then a member ,
'fl "Arbor Day" originated. The legisla
ture exempted all tree-planting values
from taxation. "Arbor Day" by enact
ment was made a legal holiday , fixing
that day April 22d , Mr. Morton's birth-
' ' rtnyBy an atjt ° f the legislature , Ne
braska was designated "Tree Planters'
State. "
From the date of first practical tree
planting to the present , there have been
planted in Nebraska , two billions , seven
hundred and seventy-five millions , eight
hundred and thirty-six thousand , two
hundred (2,775,8i(5,200) ( } ( ) forest trees.
This includes both deciduous and ever
green trees , planted purely for forest
purposes , parks , cemeteries and streets
in cities , towns and villages ; but does
not include four million , one hundred
and thousand hundred
eighty-four , seven
dred and ninety-one (4,184,791) ( ) fruit
trees , of all lands , together with nine
hundred and eighty-four thousand , four
hundred and sixty-four (984,4(54) ( ( ) grape
vines.
Intelligent , careful planting has been
exercised. Hence only a small per cent
of tree planting of any kind has been
unsuccessful.
Notwithstanding the increased de
mand for , and use of timber , volunteer
or spontaneous , growth of indigenous
varieties is today greatly in excess of that
found existing when first settlements
were made. This is attributable to care
exercised , more especially in guarding
against ravages of fire , which prevailed
so extensively in earlier days of both
territory and state.
With your approbation , I may in fu
ture issues of Tin : CONSERVATIVE con
tinue this subject , treating of the im
portance and value of tree planting in
our Western prairie lands.
ROUT. W. FUKXAS.
Brownville , Neb. , .Tune , 1898.
roKKSTKY Forestry is soon to become
a profession in the United States. A
few years since , the writer hereof visited
the Biltmore estate near Asheville , N. C.
and examined the forestry work therein
progress under the direction of Dr. C.
A. Schenck. Immediately after that
visit , in mi article written for the South
ern States , it was predicted that Mr.
Vanderbilt's magnificent domain would
sooner or later become a college of for
estry. The prophecy is now verified.
Dr. Schenck has opened a forestry
school at Biltmoi'c. It begins its first
term September 1,1898. It will continue
twelve months.
Practical instruction in the forest
where actual work cutting , planting ,
road-making , etc. is going on is the
first lesson. Then will come theoretical
instruction in sylviculture , forest util
ization , forest management , forest
finance , forest protection , forest politics ,
forest history , and brief essays relative
to the conservation of game and fish and
upon practical forest researches. The
cost of admission and tuition for the en
tire course of instruction is $200.
All of the Northwestern States , es
pecially those which , like Nebraska ,
have to depend upon planted forests ,
ought to furnish students for the for
estry college. There is no profession
which can be practised in the United
States with more benefit to the public
and personal profits to its adepts than
forestry. Every young man of ability
who has taste for arboriculture should
consider the possibilities of becoming a
practical forester. His services will
soon bo in great demand throughout the
United States. The supply of foresters
will not bo equal to the demand for for
esters twenty-five years from this date ,
unless other forestry schools are estab
lished and a general awakening to the
importance of this science is experienced
throughout the country.
Mr. Nathaniel Morton , of Plymouth ,
Mass. , has been cultivating a tract of
white pine , fifty acres in extent , since
1891. He writes very intelligently and
practically relative to his success in this
venture. By actual measurement , he
shows that the average gain in the cir
cumference of J58 white pine trees be
tween the years J89J and 1897 was 7' ' ; ,
inches or 2U , ' inches in diameter.
There are between 5,000 and 10,000
white pines growing at Arbor Lodge ,
which were planted in 1891. They stand
four feet apart in rows and the rows are
four feet apart. They were planted in
this way in order that they might be
cultivated as corn is worked. They
have made a wonderfully strong and
vigorous growth. The closeness of this
planting demonstrates the fact that the
white pine will make a better and
stronger growth when planted densely.
There is a white pine near this little for
est which was planted more than thirty
years ago by itself. Its annual growth ,
either as to height or circumference , can
not be compared to that of the young
pines standing thickly together in the
same soil and within twenty rods of it.
DISIIONKST PITHBocaso the gold
ciiAsiNct rowisii. dollar , it is alleged ,
purchases more wheat on one day than
it can on another day , it is a dishonest
dollar. The fact , that the relation of the
supply of wheat to the demand for
wheat makes the price of wheat all the
world over , is ignored. In southeastern
Nebraska about forty years ago an acre
of land would buy $1.25 in gold. The
government of the United States was
then buying gold by giving 1(50 ( acres
of land for § 200 of that metal. But
today many of the same lands are ex
changeable at the rate of one acre for
$50 in gold. That is to say , the acre of
land which in 1857 would buy only $1.25
in gold now buys $50 of the same coin.
The quarter section which in 1858
brought $200 , commands readily in 1898 ,
$8,000.
The question to be determined is :
where is the dishonesty to bo located
in the land , or in the gold if enhanced
purchasing power makes dishonesty ?
our J > iii < i-up This first issue of TiIK
SuiiMTiptiniih. CONSERVATIVE is mailed
to more than four thousand paid-up-for-
one-year subscribers. The commercial
standing and character of the citizens
who take this periodical make it a very
siiporior advertising medium. The rates
of advertising will bo made known on
application to the publishers.
Why not have "International Bi-Cor-
ealisiu ? Why not establish a ratio be
tween wheat and corn by an interna
tional agreement ? If the price of silver ,
in gold , can bo permanently fixed by a
conference of the nations , then the price ,
in gold , of any and all other commodi
ties can be also fixed by international
agreement.
During the last five years gifts and be
quests from the rich to the poor in the
United States amounted to more than
$105,000,000.