Orphan Seedlings

One hundred ribbons of forest, each 150 ft. wide, each 1,200 miles long, each one mile from a parallel strip--stretching from North Dakota to Texas--such was the "shelter belt" that Franklin Roosevelt proposed two years ago to protect the dry edge of the prairies from dust and wind. Estimated cost of the project was $75,000,000. Relief funds were allotted, 20 nurseries leased to grow seedling trees, destitute farmers employed to plant them out. Some $2,900,000 has been spent on the project, 45,000,000 trees planted. Last February the Department of Agriculture asked for $1,000.000 more to carry on the work. When the Department's appropriation bill got to Congress, the $1,000,000 asked was promptly deleted in the House.

Of the trees planted in 1935 about 80% have perished. But, Congressmen found that in this tree-planting scheme as run by the Forest Service there was no "pork" whatever. What was the use, asked Congressmen, of spending $75,000,000 or more to plant over a billion trees, if the natural protector of the prairies was not trees but grass?

To the Senate, Secretary Wallace made a long defense of the shelterbelt program, and the Senate finally put back the $1,000,000 appropriation. Last week the fate of the great 1,200-mile dream belt was settled, as are most legislative matters, in conference. Nurserymen have on hand 60,000,000 seedling trees which the Government has paid them $4 or $5 a thousand to raise. For $2.25 per 1,000, the trees can be raised for another year or two until of suitable age for planting out. For about 50-c- per 1,000 they can be packed and shipped. To plant them would cost $86 per 1,000. The conference quickly decided not to scrap the 60,000,000 seedlings, but not to go to the expense of planting them. Instead they should be reared to planting age, given as presents to farmers. For this purpose $170,000 was appropriated to wind up the whole tree-strip project on the cheap.

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