ies and truck crops were put out. I couldn't
keep it up. The reason: a World War, and lack of help for the intensive
type of farming required for the project. Finally, when I attempted to
interplant the rows with fast-growing trees, weeds choked out most of
them in spite of my own efforts. My own physical and time limitations
defeated me in the interplanting undertaking.

This leads up to an enumeration of my mistakes. First, I did not start
early enough in life. The elements of health and strength have their
part in success. Then, too, let us see what might have been the result
if I had started at the age of 20. Remember, in this first tract of 20
acres I planned a forest plantation of selected black walnut seedlings,
some chosen for nut quality and some for large, straight timber growth.
A tract of 20 acres planted 8 x 8 x 22 feet will hold about 4500 trees.
Allow for thinning and other reductions. If only 1250 trees should reach
log size in 50 years, that is, by today for me, at an average of $50
each, they would come to $62,500--a very tidy estate.

Just now there are perhaps 2500 well grown trees in the good portion of
the ground in this 20 acres. Pleasantly enough, they do not now seem to
need the interplanting of faster-growing trees in order to develop
upright growth but are pushing each other up as they stand, 8 x 8 x 22
feet apart. In this planting, then, there is evidence of successful
timber growth in the good ground but of almost complete failure in the
poor ground.

Another failure is to be noted in my original plan for cattle guards.
These guards were 12 feet in diameter, and about 6 feet in height. These
were satisfactory for sheep after I had installed pipe for posts, but
not for cattle. Trees grow horizontally as well as vertically. Cattle,
reaching for these side shoots, reached over the guards and pushed in
and under. I later reduced the guards to a 6-foot diameter of stronger
woven fence-wire with 6-inch stays, not 12-inch, and raised the height
to not less than 10 feet. The cattle may now nibble off the side shoots
if they wish but the vertical growth is protected. Above 10 feet the
trees can spread out without danger.

Others say, "Permit no grazing at all." This statement, I think, should
be made with certain qualifications. Where bluegrass bottom is used for
the orchard planting of pecans or black walnuts, there is a possible
slight reduction in growth from lack of cultivation, but this loss