Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-10-26

I
Champlain Caral. Large quantities
of hemlock and spruce are yet TO be
found in the northern counties of the
State, which ia part substitutes for the
pine, and railroads are piercing the
wilderness in order TO bringi it TO mar
ket. We have now reached n period
when the demand for timber is rapid.
ly on the increase and the supply di-
minishing. Settlements, too, are ap-
preaching tho treeless regions of the
plains. By what agency the Western
prairies and tho country beyond have
been denuded it is useless to speculate.
at is true that there is large re.
gion in the vicinity of Georgian Bay
and the Province Of Ontario, Canada,
as yet hardly touched by tie wood
mans axe. But when we take into
consideration the vast extent of terri.
tory of the West and South to be sup
piled, we cannot look to Canada from
the West for supplies. while the Amer
ican Eastern is destitute and will re-
quiro all that region can furnish
Then Wisconsin, Michigan, and Min.
nesota will be the more heavily drawn
upon each year for the demands of the
West and South, and the question is,
can any plan be devised to replace the
loss by consumption of lumber now
being exhausted with such prodigali.
tyr In Europe, among the questions
that for the last century have been
important in the councils of the ma
tions, has been that of preservation
aud adding TO the growth of the woods
of the countries. Valuable orders of
merit are accorded to the men who
preserve or grow the timber needed
for ornament or manufacture. And
TO the intelligent man from England,
France, or Prussia there is no sight
that occasions him more surprise and
pain than the rccklessness with which
he sees oGr wood cut down in the for.
est, lost in the transit by carelessness,
or wasted in the manufacture. We
Americans are not exempt from the
stupidity that has taught the people
of the Old World such n fearful lesson.
The destruction of our forests and de-
mutation of our prairies Of their prim-
tive vegetation have made fearful in
roads upon our climate. The rains
have less frequency, and when they
do come arc more deluging than for
merly. Weare more frequently suffer
ing from the opposite extremes Of ex.
ccssive droughts and destructive in
undations. Our springs, brooks and
rivers are drying up. Our old folks
all tell us that brooks now more than
half the time dry, in their child
hood afforded constant water power
to mills; aud as a proof of what they
say, point to the mil sites long since
abandoned. Why is thisl Because
our forests have long since succumb.
cd, or are rapidly disappearing before
the axe of the woodman and the fires
of the incendiary, and our hocks have
denuded the prairics of their primitive
grasses. Experience has established
the fact that those regions, by proteo.
ton from fire and proper care, may
be covered with growth equal TO the
wants of the settlers, and may be con.
tinually renewed for all time.
projects have been suggested for
planting aud rearing forests, aud yet,
while all descriptions Of timber are be.
coming more scarce in settled com
munities, and more expensive, it is
nevertheless the conviction that the
evil may be lcssened by proper effort
in all the States east of the great
plains, and even in those plains the
grand forests of the Cascade region
will furnish supplies until the science
of arboriculture may clotho such tree.
less localities as are now appropriated
to cereal cultivation. The process OF
fostering this interest should be en-.
couraged and every farmer and indi-
viduul consult their greatest want
The method Of planting and rearing
trees is reduced to a science 1t is
known that the pine and fir tribe are
generally grown on sandy, shallow
surface soil other trees are native Of
swamps; while the oak, hickory chest.
nut, and others of harder and more
solid growth exist in natural and bet
ter soils, situated TO their poouliaritics
The State Of Kansas is the first 10
take steps in this matter, for the cul.
tivation of foreign trees, and the gov.
emmont is offering rewards of merit
to those who will engage in the enter
prise. Mr.. r. S. Elliott, of this city,
as industrial agent OF the Kansas Pa
cifc Railroad, is similarly engaged
along the line of that road.
"But Of all timber the white pine is
one of the most common necessities
il enters more largely into use for gen
erl purposes than all others combined
and its preservation should interest
every individual in the land. Al the
increased rate of consumption, and the
fearful inroads that are being made on
y our forests ofpine. the years will soon
pass by when Michigan, Minnesota
, and Wisconsin will be as destitute o.
this timber as Maine or New York.
"But the question comes back TO us
! can any plan be devised to prevent
the waste, increase the durability, OF
! replace the loss by consumption of the
lumber now being exhausted with
, such prodigalityH 'Tis true that
there should be more economy IL
r building houses. Build so as TO ac
! commodate the wants of the commu
nifty, and not with the extravaganza
= Of room and waste of material which
! is so noticeable in the tenement houses
ofour day. There is plenty of timber
: which can be used in the place ofpin,
for certain purposes that is equally
as good and sorvicablc, and by thi
means the pine interest can be foster
ed for much longer timo withou
much competition or much advance il
: prices, and cheap homes, cheap rents
will enter into the domestic economy
of the people"
4 A lady, who through the autumn o
r life had not lost all dreams of IL
G spring. said to Jerrold ~ canno