STATE OF WISCONSIN
FILE REFERENCE:        CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT
EMERGENCY CONSERVATION WORK
430 First Avenue South,
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
February 16, 1938
Mr. Aldo Leopold,
College of Agriculture,
Madison, Wisconsin
Dear Mr. Leopold:
It has been some time since I wrote to you
but am sure, from reports that I have had, that you are acquainted
with what we are trying to do here at Wisconsin Rapids. Last
spring, we established our Game Food Nursery here for the purpose
of growing natural berry- and seed-bearing trees, shrubs and vines
in order to supply a sustained assortment of game foods for every
month in the year. We are also growing in this nursery various
hardwoods that will be used to intersperse our regular CC forestry
plantings of conifer. In addition to this, we also have some
shrubs to be used around our own grdands for decorative purposes.
It is my endeavor to grow a variety of shrubs to suit the north
and the south part of the state, and ones that are also adapted
to sandy soil, loam, marsh, swamp and stream sides. The stream
side shrubs are grown especially for Mr. Sid Gordon to use in his
Lake and Stream work. I am trying to work out this program so
that I can have stock that will be suitable for the above named
types of soil and climatic conditions, in sufficient numbers for
each type to guarantee a monthly sustained supply of food for
game and song birds. Taking all into consideration, we have
about a hundred species --- some of which will be discarded be-
cause of their inability to adapt themselves to this climate.
The majority of our species are native at least to the United
States, but some come from foreign countries.
We have learned a great deal in the last
year in regard to the propagation of some of the harder ones.
We have had lots of failures but a certain degree of success
that pays us well for our efforts. Most of our stock is still
pretty small but I think by the end of the coming season, we will
have several hundred thousand ready to go in the field.
We have, perhaps, opened ourselves to some
criticism on account of the great variety grown but, taking into
consideration the many types of soil, the variation in climate and
the different projects that we are going to supply, it is pretty
hard to keep them under about seventy-five species. I have started
a list of these shrubs and trees in regard to the type of soil
that each is suited for and, as soon as I finish it, I want to