The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-10

This interesting and little understood sub
has recently been most suggestively elucidated
by distinguished English official, the coD-
servator of forests of India. So little is
known of forestry in many parts OF this
country that, until lately, the idea of placing
the aboriginal forests under the shield of gov
eminent protection has not been entertained.
We now begin to discover the necessity of
some legislation to this end. Last winter it
was observed that the fierce and frigid winds
Of the northwest passing far beyond their
wonted southern limit, swept through the
Mississippi Valley and penetrated unretarded
and unopposed to the Gulf of MeHico-a pho
nomenon that surprised the oldest inhabitants
and which was explained by the extensive
decreasing of the intervening States. The
rapid and unchecked denudation of the soil
throughout the United States, which, whether
sufficient statistics exist to show the fact or not
greatly affects the rainfall and climate for the
worse, has alarmed our most thoughtful econo-
mists and already stimulated governmental
investigation. The subject, SO fully treated in
the official report, of which we now speak,
comes directly home, and its timely discussion
viii do great good if it leads US to timely
action. This report abundantly and statisti-
cally exposes the popular delusion that forests
are inexhaustible sources of wood supply, which
have only to be left to themselves to furnish
periodical crops dd i.Jinituna, without expense
or cultivation; and demonstrates the absolute
necessity of unremittng supervision and care
to avert their early decay. In Germany, where
the greatest attention has been officially paid
to forest conservancy, the surplus annual yield
of wood becomes the exclusive property Of the
community to devote to their own public
purposes, and hence the people accord their
spontaneous and earnest support to the forest
officers. In other countries, especially Austria
and Great Britain, as well as in Germany,
these communal forests have been brought un-
der government superintendent, and have
been successfully surveyed, mapped and d.
vided up, and working plans devised for their
administration.
1t may not be practicable to carry out the
German or Indian system with such signal
success in the United States; it is evident
Congressional legislation may do vast deal
towards mitigating the abuses Of decreasing.
We should Iigidly zaaegZs e , the nation every
right now existing over the great Western and
Northwestern woodlands, and not devote
one acre to the rapacious railroads
which promise so much. but do 80
little, to requite the enormous grants on which
they have fattened. State and municipal
legislation, too, can be made to reach many
forest districts and wooded spots, not under
Congressional control. But if the people at
large were intelligently informed as to the
necessity of shielding and nursing the venera-
BILE trees and woods which form the natural
covering Of the soil, which attract the fertiliz-
ing rain shower, and detain it on the earth
long enough for it to percolate, the main point
would be gained, and the work Of the
legislator would then be practicable and easy.