THE COURIER
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CLUB NOTES "1
THE WEEK'S REVIEW
The paper on "Forestry" read by
Mrs. H. M. Bushnell before the state
federation of clubs in Columbus, two
weeks ago, was pronounced by the
delegates one of the best features of
the program and the general interest
which has been aroused in the subject
all over the country makes it especial
ly appropriate to print the paper, which
follows: .
FORESTRY.
When the program committee asked
me to give a talk on forestry, my mind
immediately reverted to something I
had read a few days ago. advising club
women never to talk on a subject that
they were not familiar with, and I had
decided. I thought, to take the advice
and had formed several negative re
plies in my mind, with the excuse, "For
want of Information on the subject,"
when this question rather suddenly
confronted me. putting me to shame.
"What right have you to be uninformed
on the subject, when there Is such an
awakening all along the line, from
Maine to California? We can scarcely
pick up a newspaper or periodical with
out coming upon something that shows
what vigorous and earnest efforts are
being put forth, for the proteotion and
propagation of forestry. We hear of
meetings being held, where men and
women who are keenly alive to the best
and most progressive needs of the
country were present to advance the
interests of forestry. With these re
flections the subject began to grow up
on me and everything bearing upon it
had a new interest. I forgot the ad
vice and a more inspiring quotation
came to me. "That which you so earn
estly desire, in a measure do you pos
sess." This question of the preserva
tion and propagation of forestry has
come with comparative suddenness
upon us and if the facts are the voices
of the people we have not far back to
go to see that the utilitarian Idea of the
forest as we now know and see it, had
not occurred to them. The poetical, the
artistic, the sentimental side, they saw
in all Its beauty, grandeur and sublim
ity: and it is perhaps best that the
spiritual side came first. In that sub
blime poem of Bryant's.
"The groves were God's first temples. Ere
man learned
To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave.
And spread the roof ab.ve h'm .re he
framed
The lofty vault, to gather and roll back
The sound of anthems."
and so he goes on with this grand old
hymn that contains one of the most elo
quent sermons on eternity that ever
fell from the Hp3 of man, and closes
with this beautiful reflection
"Be It ours to meditate in these calm
shades thy milder majesty.
And to the beautiful order of thy works.
Learn to conform the order of our lives."
Still, with hij beautiful and sublime
communion with the trees, the forests,
he had no conception of the blessings
the trees are able to bestow upon the
temperal wants of mankind, and of the
great disaster that would follow the de
nuding of the forests, or that by the
planting and cultivating of trees the
desert would be turned into a garden.
N. P. Morris, who wrote the poem.
"Woodman, Spare That Tree," a poem
that has been mutilated by the major
ity of school boyssInce it. was written.
If he could know the value of the trees
and the forests as men know them to
day, he would want to remodel his
poem. This appealing verse,
"Woodman, snare that tree.
Touch not a single bough,
In youth it sheltered me
And I'll protect It now," ' -seems
narrow In the light of today.
I am digressing somewhat, but it
goes to show that necessity begets
knowledge and the people of that time
had no conception of the strenuous ef
forts that would be put forth for the
protection and propagation of trees.
How much they would be needed to
maintain an adequate water supply for
the needs of agriculture. When the
forests are destroyed, the soil no long
er holds the moisture to sustain the
perennial springs. The rain runs off
as It falls, the streams become torrents.
Ample opportunity of this Is seen in
the old world. All over Asia Minor
and in many parts of Africa and in
southern Europe are to be found des
erts that in ancient times were among
the richest on the globe and supported
a large population In comfort and per
haps luxury. The great change that has
come over Egypt and very much of the
surrounding- country,, as the result of
a system of irrigation which permits
the cultivation of crops the year round.
In that land there are no forests to
speak of, but the extensive cultivation
of grasses and various kinds of plants
that has had the same effect upon the
soil, converting it into a huge sponge
for the absorption and retention of wa
ter, the result has been a notable
change in the whole region, and where
as, In times past, a slight rain once in
two or three years was noted as a
thing to be remembered, there are now
frequent showers, and so great has
been the change, that it is having its
effect upon the granite monuments of
the country and the old sphinx that
has stood for ages Is now showing
signs of disintegration in the moist at
mosphere, that is bringing grass and
verdure upon the barren sands.
But what have we done and what Is
being done for forestry in Nebraska?
Here is one of the laws on timber land:
"If any purchaser of timber shall be
fore receiving his title in fee simple,
cut or destroy any timber on said land
any further than shall actually be nec
essary for building and repairing of
fences and for the family of the oc
cupant, he or she shall be liable in a
civil action for the recovery of the
amount of damages done to the land."
Here Is a good law that was passed In
1879 giving a bounty for the cultivation
of timber: "When any person shall
plant and properly cultivate, for the
term of five years, six rows of trees,
eight feet apart, and the trees four
feet apart In a row, along either the
north section or half section line, run
ning east and west, said rows to be
not nearer to said north section or
half section line than four feet, or the
south line of any road that shall be
laid out, or when any person shall fill
out to the standard above prescribed
and shall keep the same in a proper
state of cultivation, any rows of trees
that may have been previously plant
ed. It shall be the duty of the county
commissioners to pay to such persons
by warrant on the county treasurer, a
sum of money amounting to three dol
lars and thirty-three cents for each
acre so planted and cultivated annual
ly, 'so long as the same Is planted and
kept growing in a proper state of culti
vation, for a period not to exceed five
years and In extent not to exceed three
acres." Tou will see evidences of this
law in a great portion of the state. It
was not passed for the purpose of cul
tivating timber for the timber, but for
windbreaks on the north side of sec
tion lines. Ample provisions have been
made by law. If the laws had been
properly executed, for the planting of
shade trees In the cities and villages
of XebYaSKa "and it is the duty of the
corporate authorities to cause the
shade trees to be planted, and for this
purpose a tax of not less than a dollar
or more than five dollars shall be
levied on each lot adjacent. The au
thorities shall provide by ordinance
the distance from the side of the street,
the size of the trees, etc. If the owner
oft he lot plant trees according to the
above prescribed rules he is exempt
from the tax. The penalty for destroy
ing said trees shall be a fine of from
five to fifty dollars, one half to be giv
en to the owner and the other half to
the school fund."
Here Is a law of our state that
should be of Interest to us: "If any per
Eon shall wilfully and maliciously and
without lawful authority box, bore,
bark, girdle, saw down. Injure, or oth
erwise destroy, to the amount of thirty
five dollars or upwards, any shade or
other trees standing or growing in an
orchard, or nursery, or grove,
the property of another, every such
person shall be Imprisoned In
the penitentiary at hard labor
for not more than ten nor less
than one year, and shall moreover be
liable to the party injured for double
the amount of damage done." So va
rious laws have been passed from time
to time, but they were not sufficient.
The National Bureau of Forestry tiok
up the matter, sent out agents over the
country to report conditions, and the
result 'to our state was that two tracts
of land were set aside last spring for
forest purposes by President Roosevelt.
One of these Is In Thomas county, and
extends from the Dismal river on the
south, to the Loup river on the north,
and contains about 86,000 acres, and Is
known as the Dismal river forest re
serve. The other Is In Cherry county,
and extends from the Niobrara river
on the north to the Snake river on the
south. It contains about 126.000 acres,
and bears the name of the Niobrara
river forest reserve, making In all
212.000 acres of land In these two re
seves. I am indebted to Professor Bessey of
the state university for much of this
Information. He has very recently
visited this country, and further speaks
of some native growing timber, but
for the most part the country is a sur
face of sandhills. In fact the forestry
bureau selected as far as possible the
sand hills for these experiments.
The sand hills of Holt county were
experimented upon a few years ago,
and the result was gratifying. The
pine trees have thrived In this soil,
and we are finding that the sand hills
are full of surprises, and as I see these
barren hills rescued from the stigma
they have borne so long, I think of
that little country across the seas and
hope we possess some of the will and
perseverance, of the people who took
their homes from the very ocean.
We have a new department of fores
try in our state university and I asked
one of the professors the other day to
tell me something of this department,
its outlook, etc. He says, "It is going
to be one of the strongest departments
In the United States." I said. "Pro
fessor, what do you do?" He said,
"I keep the bugs off the trees." And
so we all have our part In this work.
It may be ours, as women, to sit In
the little schoolroom with the
children on Arbor day, to lis
ten to the exercises, take part
In the planting of the trees,
and pay a tribute to the father of
Arbor day, who spent so many years
of his useful life within our borders,
and who must be accorded first place
In the ranks of Nebraska citizenship.
And when the news flashed over the
wires that J. Sterling Morton had been
stricken there was mourning not only
in the state of Nebraska, of which he
seems a part, but all over the nation.
And when his friends were permitted
to take leave of him it was in his old
home, under the sunshine of a perfect
day. The homestead and surroundings
were Impressively beautiful; between
great forest trees apple and peach
blossoms drifted through the afr. The
beds of spring flowers were profusely
beautiful; the fields were alive with
greenness: the town below, silent in
sympathy, the river, yellow as gold In
the light, and the Ipng line of hills be
yond, turning to blue in the distance
framed the picture. There was large
ness and life in the panorama a large
ness such as had been the life of the
dead, an Inspiration of strength as J.
Sterling Morton was strong and" In
spiring; for to do and accomplish was
his constant influence through life.
There was mingled with the service a
realization of the absolute complete
ness of Mr. Morton's life, and every
friend, eloquent in heart, had a tribute,
unspoken, which he left at the coffin
lid.
For a lifetime J. Sterling Morton
has been the constant optimistic friend
of Nebraska. It Is a long time since
1854. Marvelous changes have been
wrought In the years past. All that
Nebraska has and Is, hns come In that
half century; and Mr. Morton haB not
only seen It, but has been largely In
strumental In the development. Ho,
from the commencement, combated the
all prevailing Idea that the land be
yond the Missouri was a treeless
waste, and unfit for cultivation. Today
his work, his Influence and his strong
character are a fixed part in the his
tory of Nebraskn, and when the flower
laden casket was lowered into his nar
row home so Intimately was he asso
ciated with the literal Nebraska, that
It seemed as though the earth of tho
grave hud a visible welcome for him.
Mr. Morton was essentially a home
builder from 1834 to 1902; one p'ace was
his home, and that was Arbor Lodge.
He preached Nebraska as the Invltintr
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