Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886 [PAGE 266]

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258 planting of the larger trees was necessarily attended with much more labor, in excavating a sufficiently large and deep hole, in digging and distributing the trees, and in more carefully filling around the roots, while the result with the small stock ordinarily proved more satisfactory. The seeds of the Box Elder, Oaks, Chestnut and Hickories mentioned above, were planted in the autumn as soon as gathered; otherwise the planting was all done in the springtime, and intentionally as early as possible. As stated, the Chestnuts and acorns were destroyed by rabbits and mice; otherwise the fall-planted seeds did excellently well. The young trees were cultivated during several summers, usually about five, just as corn is worked. While the trees were small enough, two-horse corn cultivators were used, after which one-horse double-shovel plows. For the first two seasons the rows were also hoed out about twice each ye&r. Some of the later plantings were not so well cultivated, with sufficient indications of the fact in the less satisfactory results. As soon as the trees shaded the ground, so as to keep down an injurious growth of weeds, cultivation was discontinued, after which very little expense was involved in the management of the plantation. From time to time the rows were thinned so that the remaining trees stood four to six or eight feet apart, and after about seven years alternate rows were moved. The remaining rows were further thinned in some cases as required. Some of the trees have been trimmed up—the lower branches being cut away so as to leave a clean trunk several feet high; but by far the greater number have been left for the natural trimming which always takes place upon thickly grown trees. In the spring of 1869 there were purchased 3,000 seedlings of Green Ash, and special pains were taken by the committee to secure another lot of White Ash. The search for reliable seedlings of the latter caused a delay of one year, when 20,000 seedlings, believed to be of this species [Fraximus Americana), were secured. It certainly requires the knowledge and acuteness of an expert to reliably identify this species in the seedling state, though the seeds themselves and the matured trees are quite readily recognized. Without an attempt here to trace the responsibility of the matter^ the facts are that these latter seedlings were Green Ash (!) though named in the reports for several years as White Ash. It may be well to state also that after the discovery just stated was made, an attempt followed to get genuine White Ash seed (with the trouble experienced related); an order was made to one of the best nurserymen in the country for a sufficient amount of seed to furnish the required seedlings for the forest-tree plantation. This seed upon arrival was pronounced Green Ash again, but the dealer being confident to the contrary, some of it was planted and Green Ash seedlings appeared. Once more true White Ash seed was gathered, but for some reason, probably because allowed to become too dry, only a small proportion germinated. No White Ash has yet been planted in the forest. The mistake here made is a very common one in the country generally, and is productive, as in this case, of