The Portland daily press., 1868-05-23

Anis queStlon mas recently Deen aSltated
in the legislature of Massachusetts,. A bill
has been presented, the object OF which is to
encourage the cultivation of forest trees for
timber and lumber, and for fuel. The main
feature of the bill is an exemption from tax
alton of such ground and trees for period
Of years. 1t also authorizes Agricultural So
eieties to offer premiums to cultivators of
forest trees. Such movement is well, and
the people begin to see the necessity of it
Our noble forests have been too lightly est-
mated, and millions of acres have been liter
ally wasted, and we have nothing to show
for it. How many millions of noble pine
trees have been cut down on the banks OF
the Saco. Androscoggin, Kennebec, Penob-
scot and other streams of Maine in years
past? And what was the result? The val
liable timber was not only wasted. but the
lumbermen were made poor by the operation.
Many years ago the people seemed to have
mania for cutting down trees and hauling
them to market even when they could not
earn pistareen day for their labor. A poor
man would tug and labor at great pine tree,
tumble it down and make it into shingles or
something else and get very small pay for his
labor, while he trampled over rich virgin
soil which would have yielded him a much
larger reward for his toll if he had only cu-
tivated it, than his numbering operations
But no! farming had to give place to lum-
bering and so thousands struggled along in
hard work and poverty.
"Shingle-weavers," as they were called,
were scattered through our forests, working
day and night to earn a little money 10 buy
bread for their wives and children and often
New England rum for themselves, scarcely
ever thinking of raising their own beans or
potatoes. And thousands engaged i'll lum-
bering on larger scale, and how soon large
groves of beautiful timber trees were prostra-
ted and worse than wasted by these very en-
terprising individuals who looked upon farm
ing as sort of menial employment when
compared with their business. And so they
struggled on, year after year, and the harder
they worked the poorer they grew until pow
erty and want of credit drove them to plant
ing and hoeing potatoes. Thus our timber
lands were wasted away and the State grew
the poorer for it. Thus, years afterwards,
when many OF our best timbered lands have
been cut over, better organized companies
engaged in the numbering business, and
made money cut of it. But large portions
OF our best numbering lands were worse than
wasted.
And so of our woodlands. These have
been shamefully used, and now the ely is
wood is scarce and high and many of our far
mers have not enough to supply their own fires
The past generation and some ofthe present
seemed to think that our forests would last
always in spite of fires and the woodman's
axe. But they were sadly mistaken. And
hundreds and thousands now see and feel it.
And so great has been the devastation of our
forests that legislatures, agricultural societies
and farmers are beginning to agitate the
question of replacing those forests which
have been so foolishly wasted. 1t is a SUBJ
jeet of great interest to all, and the great
question now is, how can this work be done
to the best advantage? 1t is somewhat new
to the people, but they know that something
must be done, or the next generation will be
worse off than we are.
Having longer felt the need of forests than
we have, the people OF the Old World under
stand this subject better than we do. Bay-
| ard Taylor in some of his letters to the New
York Tribune gives an interesting account
of the forest culture of Germany, by which
| the woodlands of that country are not only
kept from decay, but, where.needed, are ac-
tually enlarged from year to year. Such
knowledge is already needed in many parts OF
| New England, and in fact all over our coun-
| try. The wholesale destruction of forests has
proved injurious in many ways. 1t not only
makes fuel scarce and dear, but also exposes
| large tracts to the cold winds and dries up
the springs and streams, and hence we are
exposed to "a succession of unwecome
droughts and freshets. In Germany the
management of forests is assumed by the
State, and even trees planted and owned by
individuals are cared for, and there are reg
ulations which prevent more than the annu
al growth from being used.
But the jurisdiction of the government Is
limited to mountain regions and does moi
extend to lands suitable for raising grain. il
is noteworthy statement that stream.
which were formerly navigable have dwin
died to brooks since the adjacent forests have
been cut away. And here in this country
and In almost every part of our State as wei
as New England we are often subject to
thoughts which greatly injure the crops, and
this in consequence Of the trees being cu'
away.
Our primitive forests are rapidly decayins
because the sun and winds have greater &C
cess to them. Having attained their growth