Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-04-03
asAvxsIso.
FeeEsTRr

suits of pleasure, is that lifetime Is VOo s"oit
for the accomplishment OF our sclf-imposed
tasks We think, talk eat and work IN h"f-
ry. The consequence Is, our ideas are often
crude, VIC make use of superhuity OF words
that fail to give clear expression TO our
thoughts, we suffer from dispepsys and tho
kindred ills Of imperfect digestion. we weary
ourselves, wear out our health and strength
and die at an early age. Instead Of following
the regular beaten track t. any particular end,
we are always looking for cross. cuts. and thus
expect more labor and lose more time than
would have been expended by following the
old beaten track. i"
We are arecharacteristically impatient ofresuits'
The capitalist. fortified BY Benjamin Frank
lin 3 motto, ''The nimble sixpence Is better
than the slow shilling" prefers invest
ments for the shortest possible time with the
highest possible per centage. The farmer pre-
fers the quickest crops to the longer ones that
are more profitable. 1t is this prevalent desire
to realize quickly, that has prevented any ex-
tensive
PI IANTINo OF FOREST TREES
this country. We cannot afford to wait so
long for the profits. The consequence is that
our dependence upon the natural forests for
fuel, for building and other mechanical pur-
poses, have so exhausted the supplies that
lumber and choice timber have rapidly risen
in price within few years. and are now
We are beginning to realize the scarcity OF
good timber, and with all substitutes In the
Way of ship building. bridge building, house
building, &C., we f0rsee at no great distance,
the time when the timber crop in this country
must be exhausted by the Consumption, even
mt the present ratio.
In this locality there now remains but few
Of the. gigantic poplars. the ine, old, patri-
arcllal oaks of forty years ago. Sticks for
milshafts, stems and keeIs for ships that could
be found in any heighbOuring woods, can now
be scarcely found at all In the vicinity. The
head waters Of the Susquehanna. that fur
nished in such abundaDce the fine spars for
The ship builders and the rare timber for our
bridges are now almost exhausted, and year
after year the sources Of our supplies recede
further and further, with ad,ied costs for trans
portatiOn, until now our last resort is the far
northwest territory, near the borders of the
British Possessions. There Is a great prime
val timber tract that Is already pOpulOlls with
our choppers and musical with the busy hum
Of the saw mills, preparing the lumber for the
uses OF q continent. But between us aud the
great timber region lies .he
| TREELEsS PLAIN.
A vast area twelve times rs large as the
whole New England States together, that is
already waiting for the timber so soon as II
can be transported across the Rocky Noun.
ttains. without thinker, tins extended region
must remain but thinly populated; whereas
with An adequate timber supply, It would Ike
capable of maintaining population half as
great aS 4a5f .4 ....-.E
THE WHOLE UNITED STATES
contains at the present time.
Looking back through the past quarter cen.
ltury, and taking the ratio Of the destruction ot
timber, the increase Of population, the multi
piled uses for lumber and timber, the most
liberal estimate will not make the present tim.
ber supply Of the whole country last for more
than another quarter OF century.
WHAT 10 10 BE DONE WHEN OUR TIMBER IL
| tt.f. ExHAUs1RD? %. L6=lt ,z
We must do what was done in Great Britai,
and some other countries, we must plant for
est trpes In anticipation Of the coming scarci
ty, and enact laws for the preservation of ex
isting timber from wanton waste and destruc
ton. tt'+ +lH DO #.t d" ...'' "+
The question will be asked, will 1t pay t.
|plant timber trees? Under certain cfrcnm-
stances It will payas well, II not better. than
any other crop It will pay as an inheritenct
for our children. Beyond competency dur
ing life.0ur labOrs and our rawlings are design
> ed for pOsterity. In plantation of forest
trees our children may realize more value
! than we can give them BY any other meansa a
the same cost Taking the present prices Of
timber % . basis, the tres crop must prove ~
iprodtable ss any. other crop, even on our hes
6yable lands, and in waste places, such as ab-
Irupt hiilsides, rocky localities on swamp bor
deTs, the wood will be source Of prof
where none now exiaes F' u Ie %. f'' ' -"
y requires about ferty yearsfor a troe plan
tatiOn 10 arrive at q condition Of size and ap,
most useful for mechanical purposes. lii m
natural or wild growth, 1t requires greater
length Of time. 1t has been demonstrated tha
most forest trees taken from the n,lsery am
properly painted and cultivated, will, in fortl
years make growth equal to s'zty years in
We will take then, our bestarab land at ,
cost Of 800 per acre, the simple Interest OF
which viii amount. in forty years, to t24O W,
will plant this land with some Of our mos
valuable timber trees Just as We plaut our ap
pie and peach orchards, only closer tOgethe
and cultivate for two or three years In til,
same manner. After that, the plantation ma,
J be left to care for itself. We will grow tws
hundred and nfty trees to the acre, worth fiy,
dollars a tree, which will amount tOl twelp
hundred and ffsy dollars In forty years, equa
MORE THAN THIRTY PER CENT
tor the land, making no allowance for IN,
cost Of the young trees nor the l4bor there in
Tie Venerable 0bservedthat he had been deem
~ Interested In the remarks Of the .Presiden
which called to mind the contents Of a lette,
he had lately received from friend who had
settled Ave years since, in Iowa. The lette,
stated that the greater want In Iowa was trre,
for timber and irew0Od. There is no timhe,
in theStste except a TOW scattered trees along
the water OOuFseS and swamp borders. And
many farmers are obliged 70 20 q distance OF
twenty-five or thirty miles for 8 load ~
. wood. 1t was found better and cheaper thert