Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 264]

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19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. P i n u s Austriaca P i n u s sylvestris Pyrus malus Quercus m a c r o c a r p a Salixalba Tilia A m e r i c a n a U l m u s Americana Austrian P i n e Scotch P i n e O r c h a r d Apple B u r r Oak White Willow Bass Wood White E l m

The first official act in the establishment of this experiment was the report of the Committee on Horticulture to the Board of Trustees, November 18, 1868. This committee consisted of Burden Pullen, Samuel Edwards, 0. B. Galusha, M. L. Dunlap and W. C. Flagg. The following is taken from the report:

The great feature of t h e s e horticultural g r o u n d s , and w h a t is of p a r a m o u n t i m p o r t a n c e at t h i s time to t h e whole people of the State, is t h e p l a n t i n g of forest t r e e s for useful purposes. I t is a new d e m a n d upon t h e i r i n d u s t r y a n d upon their lands, from which t h e y c a n n o t fail to r e a p the most valuable results. f The n e w condition of t h i n g s created by railroads and improved agricultural i m p l e m e n t s p r e s e n t n e w industries, b o t h to the cultivators of t h e soil and to t h e m e c h a n i c , in which t h e y have a m u t u a l interest. The forests are repidly disappearing, or at least t h o s e useful t r e e s t h a t have a commercial value, and yet m a n y of t h e new d e m a n d s have not been m e t n o r is the old supply likely to hold'out. B u t if the forests of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and I n d i a n a were a d e q u a t e to t h e d e m a n d , as a m a t t e r of economy in freights, if not in t h e superior quality of our second growth timber, especially of t h e deciduous varieties, it is a n object to grow t h e m at h o m e r a t h e r t h a n to buy t h e m . Timber for railroad ties, culverts, cars, r o a d w a y s a n d buildings, fencing, v i n e y a r d s t a k e s , hop poles, s t a n c h i o n s for coal b a n k s , soft wood, like white willow and t h e p o p l a r s for b e r r y boxes, c r a t e s and staves, hoop poles, carriage a n d w a g o n material, a g r i c u l t u r a l i m p l e m e n t s and t h e multiform w T ants of the age, m a k e up a d e m a n d of most surprising m a g nitude, t h a t will add to our r u r a l i n d u s t r y a n d i m p o r t a n c e t h a t the m o s t s a n g u i n e h a v e n o t heretofore d r e a m e d of. If we look at this as simply the d e m a n d of agriculture, it m u s t be conceded t h a t it i s legitimate and o u g h t to be g r a n t e d without a n objection; but we h a v e a d d e d to this t h e claim of the m e c h a n i c , who is also largely interested, for it will enable him to compete with t h o s e of o t h e r States in t h e supply t h a t c o m m e r c e d e m a n d s . T h e State t h a t sells the r a w p r o d u c t s of i t s soil is never rich, while t h e States t h a t m a n ufacture for others do well; t h o s e t h a t grow the r a w material and manufacture it at h o m e are the most p r o s p e r o u s . No doubt the State of Illinois had t h e s e facts in view w h e n it established this great school of the i n d u s t r i e s for t h e especial benefit of t h o s e two c l a s s e s who create the wealth of the State. T h e r e are in this State about eighty species of forest t r e e s , besides the larger s h r u b s . With the exception of the o a k s , yellow poplar and hickory.twe have not d r a w n largely from our native forests, and to-day we p u r c h a s e n e a r l y all of o u r timber. Nearly all of t h e a s h t i m b e r used for agricultural implements, a p a r t of our fence posts and a portion of our railroad ties come from other States. Added to t h e s e is the g r e a t e r p a r t of t h e material f o r our w a g o n s and carriages,. w h e n not wholly m a n u f a c t u r e d in o t h e r S t a t e s ; t i m b e r for railroad c a r s a n d hardwood l u m b e r for m a n y o t h e r useful purposes, t h a t o u g h t to be g r o w n n e a r t h e place of m a n u f a c t u r e . To b r i n g t h e s e useful t r e e s within t h e b o u n d s of culture and to utilize t h e m is one of t h e objects of this industrial institution. To t e a c h t h e people of t h e State how to add t h e s e p r o ducts of t h e forest to their other crops, and t h u s add millions of dollars annually to t h e wealth of t h e State, to give labor a wider r a n g e and a m o r e comprehensive field for its e m ployment, are objects worthy of such a n institution. T h o u s a n d s of acres of t i m b e r can be planted in shelter belts, to check the winds t h a t come down from t h e n o r t h , with its polar cold, destroying t h e plants t h a t t h e genial s u m mer, fanned with t h e b r e a t h of the tropics, h a s m a d e to flourish on our open plains. Wall in t h e s e prairies of central and n o r t h e r n Illinois with belts of conifers a n d deciduous trees, and we s h a l l have one of the best of climates, genial a n d e q u a b l e ; and with t h e b e s t soil in t h e Union, with a geographical position midway between the two oceans, over which m u s t p a s s a l a r g e p a r t of the c o m m e r c e of t h e world, if we are not l a g g a r d s in t h e world's p r o g r e s s we m a y r e a p from such s u r r o u n d i n g s a rich r e w a r d . T h e committee have divided t h e s e thirty species of useful forest t r e e s into t h r e e classes, according to their s u p p o s e d value for t h e d e m a n d s of c o m m e r c e and for d o m e s t i c use, I n t h e first class t h e y include t h e E u r o p e a n L a r c h , Austrian P i n e and Norway Spruce, n a t i v e t r e e s of Europe, a n d the Osage Orange, native of the S o u t h w e s t e r n States. I n the second and t h i r d class White Willow, a native of E u r o p e ; Black Spruce a n d N o r w a y Pine, n a t i v e s of the m o r e N o r t h e r n States. T h u s m a k i n g u p t h e list with four E u r o p e a n , t h r e e of o t h e r States, a n d t w e n t y - t h r e e species from t h e forests of Illinois. Our other native trees of minor i m p o r t a n c e will find a place in t h e a r b o r e t u m , w h e r e t h o s e ot other sections of t h i s continent a n d of E u r o p e may be t e s t e d side b y side. It is probable t h a t a m o n g t h e m m a y be found m a n y of value.

F I E S T CLASS.

E u r o p e a n L a r c h , Osage Orange, White P i n e , White Ash, Austrian P i n e , Green Ash,;. Arborvita?, Blue Ash, Bed Cedar, Norway S p r u c e .