sr
or
Garden
VOL. LXVI
INDIANAPOLIS, JAN. 21 1911.
NO. 3
REFORESTING INDIANA.
A   thiod Way tu Start Tbis  work on a
Permanent Basis.
An expert in the work of reforesting
has just prepared copy for the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D.
('., and the department has Issued It tn
bulletin form for  free distribution.    It
la rliiclly intended as educational in reforesting, and designed for use in pub-
lic schools.   It is most admirably adapted  to school work, as it takes  up the
matter in a very plain and yet complete
l\4 ay, to impress the importance of tree
[growing on the young and plastic mind,
5 aa ml   tu   give  all  a  real   taste   for   this
Iwnrk.     The title of Ihe bulletin is "For-
Icst Nurseries  for  Schools,"   and   while
[especially   adapted   to   this   educational
Iwork, is most Important to all classes
bavins a desire to know lmw to grow
■trees.      An  abstract ot  the     bulletin  is
Sfcivcn, as follows:
Tlio Preparation.
To begin in the autumn by breaking,
j preparing and fertilizing the ground to
be ready for    spring    planting, storing
the seeds which mature in the autumn
to be kept properly until spring.     Then
I one   or   more   trees   to   be   planted   by
i      *  pupil who will  care for them  in
*
'    *>v.Cj>\Kind of Seeds to Colled.
Only seeds or those trees that are
suitable to climate are recommended.
Tho seed of trees to be selected to be
| desirable for timber, fuel, shade, fruit
j and ornamentation, such as maples,
ashes, elms, oaks, basswood, walnut,
hickory, yellow poplar, etc., adapted
lo location.
Wlien to Collect the Seeds.
As most tree seeds mature In the fall,
they should be gathered when they
ripen. As some maples and elm ripen
late in the spring, tliey should be collected then aud planted at once, as they
soon lose their vitality if not planted
at maturity.
Mow to Collect Them.
They must be collected by hand picking, except such as walnuts, hickory
nuts, acorns, which fall after early
frosts, and may be gathered from the
siound. Method* of testing their germinating power is also given la the bul-
letln.
This brief abstract of the bulletin will
indicate tho care witli which instructions are given throughout in growing
rmest trees, and Is further summarized
ns follows:
'• Storing the seeds in winter for
spring planting.
-'■    Testing before planting.
*■     Preparing the seed beds for imr-
•iy  planting.
*•     Klii<l   of   soil   an.l    fertilization.
■"      Size of the seed beds in the nur-
ind distance apart In planting.
fi-     Time for planting in fall for cer-
[ lain kinds, and spring for others.
"•    Cultivating between the rows and
| weeding.
»■    Watering them when there is not
rain  enough,  as  In  some seasons,  and
I how to water.
9-    Protection in winter seasons.
10     Transplanting the seedling trcaes
|and time for this work.
11.    How to transplant to be sure of
Itheir living afterward*.
IS. Pruning the roots and tops in
transplanting.
Thoso and many other important
Items of information are given ln the
bulletin, and it Is well illustrated, giving
object lessons In the work of growing
Inn st trees, Including tho Item of growing certain trees from cuttings instead
of seed.   The bulletin closes with a tabu
douth were noticed. Wilh possibly a
single exception in no year since records
have been kept has the Mississippi
River been su low at the Falls of St.
Anthony as lt lias this year. Tho latter part of August rains camo that
started the young grass In the dried
ground and gave the pastures and meadows   the young   green   of spring,   in
WILSON'S CAVK.
The engraving is a winter scene at what is known as Wilson's Cave. This
cave is located up peer Creek, about three miles from Delphi, Carroll Co. It
lias not been as well explored, perhaps as has Mammoth Cave, but the romantic scenery about this cave makes it a resort of no little interest. James W.
Riley, Indiana's poet, used to spend much time along this creek, and no doubt
but he received liis Inspirations for that well known poem, "On the banks of
Deer Creek" from these visits to this cave and along Its banks.
The cave lies at the base of a steep bluff along the creek. Tlio opening
is nearly on a level with tho creek. Formerly the opening was large enough
for one to enter readily, but of late entrance Is made in a creeping posture, it was said in early years that persons went back in the cave several
hundred feet, but no one now cares to try it (afraid of snakes, maybe). Its
chief feature is the fine scenery and great   beauty  of the surroundings.
Iar statement giving species of trees to '
plant, montha for collecting and storing
seeds, per eent that usually germinates, I
when   to   plant   each   species,   depth   to |
plant each kind,  spacing  In   rows,  and
the usual height of ono year old  trees
frum seeds.
This bulletin if carefully studied will
ilu more to help reforest Indiana than
any help yet published,  If It is brought
te die attention ol school pupils in a
tnatic way, for young people, as a
rule,  take delight In this work, and In |
nature studies.
There Is much reason why the home, i
as wen aS schools, should take up this i
delightful  study and   work  of growing j
trees.     A small plat In the garden will j
afford ample room for It, and those who
go at It at once will find sale for their j
young trees, for reforesting Indiana will
rapidly Increase, for the next decade or
two.      It Is  in   the  public thought,  be- a
cause it  has  become
public economy.
necessary   in   our
IN THE NORTHWEOT.
Mr. Amos W. Butler, Secretary of our
State Board of Charities,    has sent us
■One notes of a trip he made early last
fall thru the North Western States. We;
clip from them as follows:
Since my last note I have been farth- ;
er north—as far    as St.    Cloud, Minn.
Wherever I went the effects of the long j
strange contrast with tills was the evidence of fall at the same time. The
fall flowers were in bloom. The birds
were flocking, Indicating the end of
their summer labors. The night hawks
ami robins were forming in little companies August 26 as they do here the
latter part of September. It was a surprise to sec the farmers cutting (odd* r
ami making ensilage of corn planted
long after ours which will not be ready
to cut for three weeks. The short, warm
summer of these higher latitudes and
the early varieties of corn planted enable thein to do this.
In Minnesota they have the slate
system of care for the Insane as we do.
The result is, like lt Is ln Indiana, the
Insane are not all cared for by the state.
They have as we have. Insane In poor
asylums, jails and In private families.
There they have two kinds of state Institutions for the insane. State hospitals for the acute and State Asylums for
the chronic cases. We visited the asylum at Hastings and found It under
Superintendent Tanz whose parents
came from Olbson County, Indiana, lt
Is situated on the bluffs overlooking the
Mississippi River. The Superintendent
takes a great Interest in this Asylum.
From the fact he has been ln the service here for years and has been promoted It Is evident his services are appreciated.
Here there are extensive gardens and
uu -hards. The latter are barren of fruit
as are those throughout both Minnesota! and Wisconsin. The freeze of June
5 last ih struyeil a line prospect for a
crop of winter apples. They have a
line daiiiy lu re ai.al the silos were being
lllled.
At .Stillwater is the State Prison, a
ooleetlon of old buildings crowded Into
a ravlno within the town. Its population Is 700, 10 of whom are women whu
aro kept In a ■operate part of the prison.     Prisoners an   , inpluyed In    part lu
tlu' manufacture of shoes under
timet and in making hinder twine and
laiini   man-hiiicr.4    State  ueeounls.   In
two m.ne yean trheu th* contra* ta b
expired contract labor win i»o abolished in Minie
In L$|l when tin- price of binder twine
iiii hlKb under the management
i.i llenry Walfer, the elllcient warden,
tin- Stale prison of Minnesota began to
make binder twine to be sold at a rea-
■onable price te tbe farmers, other
Statea have followed hut it was the lirst.
So successful has this experiment been
that last year they made 17,500,000
pounds of twine. The receipts from the
twine plant average $1,500,000 annually. The profits from lt last year were
JH3.279.89. The prison is self-supporting. It is believed by careful observers
that the farmers of Minnesota have
been benefited to the extent of three
cents per pound, making an economic
saving to them since 1891 of $4,158,750.
To which should be added the profits of
$1,590,981.96 making a grand total of
gain to tho farmers and to the Btate
combined of $5,749,731.96.
Tho Minnesota Reformatory al St.
Cloud has 345 young men who are ser\ -
ing Indeterminate .-• building ■
na W prison of granite which they quarry from a part of their 1,000 acre farm.
In dniiig this they are learning a good
trade. Not only the walls and celi
houses are of granite but also the stables, root cellars and silos.   This is their
eheapest building material. They have
ditched and drained the low lands and
are making a line farm. Orcharda.
vines and berries bave been planted and
extensive tracts of stony ground made
Into fertile gardens. A beginning baa
ii. i ii made In planting a model forest
tract Experiments are In ing made In
growing alfalfa, hardy cherries and a
new hanly. prolific grape. They have
a fine herd of Holsteins which supply
tin- milk fur the Reformatory. Ry
testing theae cows they have weeded out
Iho unprofitable ones. Formerly they
had 62 cows, now they get the same
quantity of milk from 40. Eventually
they claim they expect to get from 31
the same total yiehl they formerly did
from 62.
Another thing they do that Is of interest. The State Highway Commission has arranged for 200 cars of crushed stone a year for the public highways.
The Reformatory furnishes this free
and the railroads have agreed to haul
It free. They do not believe ln Minnesota ln employing prisoners upon the
public highways but think they may
be employed to some extent In making
road material.
The benefit reported to be derived by
farmers from their co-operative socle-
ties in continental countries, especially
Denmark, has stimulated the formation
of like societies In the United States.