The Portland daily press., 1869-02-19
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
friday Morning, February 10, 1859.
PORTLAND
Uses and Importance of Preserving
WnAH

| "nu otner noble trees
which once covered large tracts of land in
Cumberland county--to say nothing of other
| portions ofour State which contained eonau,
fine forests-and which were cut down, pilsd
| up and burned on the ground We can re-
member, too, the forests OF noble pine trees
that grew in the valleys of our brooks and
rivers and skirted the shores of our ponds
and lakes. What splendid forests of pines
once covered large portion of the territory
of Poland? And in New Gloucester, too
there were pineries of noble growth, and the
valley of Royals river was covered, in
places, with these monarchs of the forest. In
the town of Turner, also, there was tremen-
dous growth of pines, and every body has
heard of the fine lumber that has been taken
from the vally of the Saco river, and many
now living, have seen its thick forests. We
might speak of other portions of the State,
but it is not necessary for our purpose at this
time.
Now where are those majestic hard and
soft wood trees9 Nearly all gonel "Wood-
man spare that tree" was not prayer much
needed few years ago, but now our farmers
begin to see and feel the force of the good
sense embodied in it, In old times economy
in the use of fire wood was the last thing
thought Of, and swamps of black ash trees
were considered the meanest portion of a
farm. Some old farmers have visited our City
Hall and viewedithe splendid finish black ash
boards make. When looking at the beautiful
grain and the splendid pictures their despised
wood presents to their eyes, they regret they
had not. been more provident and wise in
their younger days and spared those trees
which they cut down as cumberers of the
| ground. We heard one old farmer say: "What
fool was that had not saved my black
| ash treesw
The child is now born who will live to see
greater scarcity of wood and lumber than
| we of this generation dream OF in our philoso-
ply. During the last half century there has
been terrible destruction of our forests, and
wood-lots are scarce on many farms. 1t is a
remarkable fact that some our ancestors were
not more wise and tar seeing in relation to this
matter. But the eyes of many of our farmers
are wide open now, and they are trying TO
| save the little patches of woodland that may
remain on their farms. The lands which
ought to have been saved for wood and tim
Der were stripped years ago, and thousands
| are still living who lent hand in stripping
them, and now mourn their losses and theil
folly. What can now be done to atone fol
such folly and to remedy the evil? But one
thing can be done and that is,plant acorns and
set out trees. The day has gone by for old
farmers, the sons must bend themselves
to the work, else in their old age they will
suffer for the want of fuel. A fine forest OF
oak trees will grow from the acorn in a gen.
Grafton, only give them proper care and a
fair chance for their lives.
Great drafts are constantly made by rail-
| roads on the forests that hitherto have been
| spared. There are now thousands of acres o.
splendid woodlands on the eastern slope o
the White Mountains, and for miles this
side of the ''Notch," !" in the valley of the SacC
river there is large forest of hardwood
trees of magnificent growth. 1t does ones
soul good to look at them in their beauty and
grandeur. But what cutting and slashing
there viii be in this forest when the iron
horse is heard painting and putting on the
mountain sides and through that mighty
gorge! And that day is not very far distant
we hope and trust. But, woodman, slare
those noble trees, and let a part of them al
| least shelter and warm future generations.
/ In Eurofao oNr
and have longer seen the necessity of plant.
ing trees. In France there are many forests
and yet the price of wood increases every
year. French journal says: "The people
have no idea of the enormous quantity o
wood used for special purpose 5, besides wha
is burned in private houses and manufacto
tories. II the statistics were published i
would stop the mania for clearing that 81
many proprietors are bitten with, and show
them that forest land, judiciously cultivated
cannot fail to yield good profits and to in.
crease yearly in value" French lines of rail-
roads alone have consumed more than the
whole navy put together, without counting
the innumerable logs for sleepers. Count
less props and scaffoldings are wanted fol
the working of mineral and coal mines. Tht
cultivation of hops which is rapidly increas
ing, demands millions OF poles, and in the
south OF France the expectation of wine Il
taking colossal proportions, and casks are il
corresponding demand. The same jourua
says:
1t would scarcely be believed how much
the lucifer match trade consumes; Every
Frenchman lights and throws away on an
ave average six luclfers day, total oil 7,20O.-
UuU,OOO month, for the manufacture o
which $4,000 square metres of wood are uset
per annum. Children's toys, too, arg very
important item in the consumption of wood
The French are miltary-loving nation, anG
no less than 100000 dozen toy drums are
manufactured for young France in Par
alone, and even then the supply does no
equal the demand.
There is another startling fact, that in som,
sections the inhabitants of whole Villages
have no other occupation than that of cut
ting all the available beechwood into handle.
for curry-eombsl Now we are using up woot
quite as fast as the inhabitants of other coun
tries. 1t does seem, as some one has suggest
ed, that the early settlers were enemies ol
trees, They slashed away without mercy oil
forethought; and in many portions of our
country, and even here in Maine, the work ol
destruction still goes on, and $ me people
seem determined not only to strip the low
lands of al trees, but also to denude and de.
wood the mountains.
Nowhere have building materials been SC
cheap as in the United States, because of heI
great pine forests, but they are rapidly grow
ing dearer, and these magnificent pineries arr
rapidly falling before the lumberman's axe
Many suppose that Canada has almost an in
exhaustible supply of white pine lumber, bu
such are mistaken. We have been up th,
Ottawa river some three hundred miles. an,
but very few pine trees are seen on its bank
fit to cut for lumber. These forests, once 5,
grand. have been swept off, and farther an,
farther back the lumbermen are compelled Il
go to reach pine timber. The time is rapid,
coming when the lands of the great river
and lakes of Canada will be bare of pine trees
This generation will see white pine lumber
scarce commodity in the Dominion. In man,
instances the numbering works have been ez
tremely wasteful in Canada Much of tn
timber is hewn where it falls, and the enol
nous piles of chips show great waste. w
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