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United States Department of Agriculture, FORESTY DIVISION. Washington, D. C., November 3, 1890.
Prof.C.E.Bessey, Lincoln, Nebraska Dear Sir: Thanks for you willingness to aid in the establishment of local nomenclature, also for the copy of Nebraska flora. I was glad to receive this at the time, when you expressed your hope that out scientific nomenclature would be up to the times; for I find at least two slips in Mr. Webber's list, Quercus stellata ought to be minorl Acer dasycarpum ought to be saccharinum; Ostrya Virgini ana should be (Mill), Wildm not "(Mill),B.S.P". I thought you would like to have these misses pointed out.
In my check-list I propose to compromise by giving the new and Gray's nomenclature as equivalent, so that all sides shall be satisfied. The new nomanclature will occupy first place, the old underneath in different type.
I wonder every time when the treelessness of the plains is disscussed, that none of our philosphers is wise enough to combine the various single causes adduced, neither of which is sufficient in itself to explain to matter. To me there is no enigma in this phenomenen. The existence of a forest cover at one time, which I
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have always accepted as a natural law, is now seemingly being proved more and more satisfactorily by the notes which you and Mr. Webber present. The continental and topographical position of the region neccessitates unfavorable moisture conditions (unfavorable relative humidity, unfavorable precipiration). Allow destruction by fire to make the first inroad and repitition of this factory of destruction and you make these unfavorable climatic conditions more potent. Add the trampling herds of buffalo preventing filteration of falling water and detroying any chance seedlings, repreat the burning and you have here a combination of destructive forces which most easily explains the first destrution and the subsequent difficulty of natural reforestation. At present the difficulty I conceive mainly to lie in the enormous evaporation due to the unchecked sweep of winds.
With best regards, Yours very truly, [signature] Chief of Forestry Divisions.
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