Daily national Democrat., 1859-11-12
Waste Of Timber.


of timber In one of his letters he says:
"Tbe whole mining region appears to have
bcen excellently timbered-so much of it as
have trayersei was eminently go yellow,
pitch. and Sugar (White) Pine land what is
here called Pitch Pine is n large tall, and
graceful tree) White, Black, and Live Oak,
with stately Cedars, once overspresd the
whole country not deusey, as in eastern
forests, but with reasonable spaces between
the noble truuks-the Oaks often presenting
the general appearance of thrifty Apple
! Orchard, undergrown with grass and bushes
But timber is wanted for fumes, for sluices,
for drifts or tunnels for dwellings, for run
ming steam engines, and as the land has no
owner, everybody cuts and slashes as if he
cared for nobody but himself, and no time
/ but to day. Patriarchal Oaks are cut down
merely to convert their limbs into fuel, leay-
| ing the trunks to rot; noble Pines are pitched.
! this way and that, merely TO take Il log or
two from the butt for saving or splitting
! leaving theresidue a eumberer OF the ground !;
| trees fit for the noblest uses are made to sub
serve the paltriest, merely because they are
handy, and it is nobody's business to preserve
them. There was timber enough here ten
years ago to satify every legitimate need for
= century yet ten years more will not elapse
before the miners will be sending far up into
the mountains at = heavy cost for logs that
might still have been abundant at their doors
had the timber of this region been husband
ed as it ought Remonstrance were idle, but
must be permitted to deplore'
Mr.. Greeley may be wrong, and doubtless
is, in politics, but in this matter of the waste
of timber in California, he is right. The
waste is more particularly felt in the valleys,
than in the mountains. We recolect when
the plains around Marysvile and on the Dor
ders of Feather and Yuba rivers adjacent
were far more thickly studded with timber
than at present. Much Of it has been used for
fire wood, but great portion has been de
stroyed in clearing for farms. Instead Of
its being cut up and slowed away for future
use, it has been burned to ashes where it Law
in order to make room for the plough and
harrow. 1t could just as well have been re-
moved in a different way and preserved A
few years hence, and the country will great
| ly feel the need of this uSelessly wasted tim
ter The same recklessness is observable in
ell the valleys Fine groves the growth Of
ages, have been ruthlessly destroyed for a
mere temporary convenience. a large oak
cut down for maui, and the balance left to
rot; the branches Of trunks felled for rails
abandoned to the same fate because fire
wood was little nearer; young trees with
cred by fire set ablaze with the view of max
ing the grass come up little earlier by con.
suming the old growth large trees cut down
for the small sticks and the lordy trunks
abandoned; and like things to these repeated
over and over again, throughout the State
this is what is most seriously damaging the
country.
In striking contrast to the waste of tim
Der, not only here, but on the whole cont.
nent, is the care which is taken of it in the
older countries. In France, it is against the
law to waste timber. Fire.wood is there fur.
nished by saving off the branches OF the
trees merely, and allowing them to grow
again. Seldom is q tree cut down. 1T con
= sidered piece of reckless destruction. Th
d upper limbs, which are trimmed off at state,
; periods, are considered amply sufficient for al
2 demands for fre.wood. In this manner til,
J groves are made to yield their crops, at sta
: ted times, in the same manner as the grain
I, fields or the orchards.
Throughout all Europe and in England
the same especial care of the timber is taken.
But, it was not until the waste became fear.
fully apparent that the old countries were
aroused upon the subject. California and
the entire Pacific Coast should profit by theil
experience Now is the time to begin tho
system Of preservation. 1t may be a lona
; time before We shall have any legislation
} upon the subject, but every farmer and eve
ry body having occasion for the use Of tim
Der, should think of the Importance of pre-
serving it. A fine forest upon any mans
estate is no trihing possession In this coun
try, it is not only great saving of expense
to the owner, but it is source of certain
profit, either immediate or ultimate. Tim
Der must continually be shipped or otherwise
transported to the large cities, and the de
mand will increase with the growth Of com
merce, trade and the general prosperity A
long as wood can be had it will be used, anC
the owner Of timber, whether in fee simpl
or by possession, need have no fears as t,
making it profitable in some form or other
FATAL AFFRAr-On Wednesday evening
in the Miners Exchange iu San Francisco al
afray occurred between George Robinson
and John kearner 11Lias Cnnk.erad kearnn,r