The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-02-20
Timber for Profit.


timber culture. The city papers are
'faAaef the miseries that have fallen on
Egypt, Syria, Spain and Portugal
through the people of these countries
having cut down the forests and plant
ed no new ones in the long time ago;
and are full Of prophecies that before
ten, twenty, thirty or more years-for
the prophets do not agree exactly upon
the time--we shall have fast driven on
toward such similar arboreal perdi-
ton. And then they abound in an ur-
gent clamoring for something to be
done. We must have legislation, they
tell us, or our woes will overflow, and
the bitter cup of National misfortune
must be drained to the bitter dregs. In
the meantime Governors address the
Legislatures, urging that something
must be done; and the Legislatures
agree that something must be. done;
Sid thus we go on. year after. year
newspapers, rulers, takers, and all
ending in the superb climax that
something must be DONE"
In the meantime, the Germantown
Telegraph has been showing what may
be dope, and we are glad to know that
manyipeopl1 are idO7hgit. 1t has shown
that it .de6snot take hundreds of years
I'd grow profitable timber, and that
there is little occasion to. offer any in
ducement to plant beyond the se1f-in-
terest involved in it, just as there is in
any ordinary business pursuit. The
IVAN who plants an apple orchard does
not expect to get any return of conse-
quence until it is ten or twelve years
old; but he plants for all. He knows
that, il he wants to sell his land before
the trees bear fruit, the statement on
the sale-bills that the farm contains
~an orchard of fruit trees just coming
into bearing" will help the bidding
wonderfully; and it will be the same
.W4th trees when once the exact position
Of tAel timber; question Is understood.
A piece Of woodland properly planted
and well located will come into use bea
fore AM apple orchard will; and farm
of hundred acres which could adver-
tise that it had I've acres of young for
est ten Years old would bring far more
ethan Interest on cost, should it have to
pass under the hammer.
ALI this of course implies thatit be
properly located. If the plantation be
made into a wooded country where the
wood is nuisance and . whole acre of
standing timber can be bought for q
few dpllars-if one sends Goals to New
castle or blankets to. the West Indies.
be must expect TO- ply. the, penalty for
such stupidity; and there always is "a
due quantity of just such stupid people
in thd world. 1t would be Just the same
with the apple planter. If he lived
where the fruit did not bring ten cents
bushel, and was scarcely likely to
ever bring more; or where apple-trees
did.nbt grow well; or if he were to set
out crabs apd rusty coats; where no one
wanted an thfng but. wfnesaps and
bushes, he would, perhaps. be among
tAosel who regarded the profits Of
apple culture as mere moonskine.
3,But there is no doubt that in ten
years over a, large district of our, coun,
try timber will be. scarce and lumber
high-priced; and that those who plant
noYih these places will be very we'll re-
walQdd. Even though the trees be not
lACfS enough for saw-logs in ten years,
or even for bored fence posts, yet for
fuel, rails perchance, and many other
purposes the little plantation will come
we'll into use. .
I A. for the "we-mustdo1something"
folks in the newspapers and public
places, we doubt, much whether any
thing will come Of them. 1t 'is not
worth while waiting to see what they
do. Bdt'we advise everyone who owns
his own farm, 10 lepk, shout him and
see how the timber prospect is; and if
he REALLY ssss.s probable scarcity.
either in his market. Or in his wood
shed, to arrange to plant an acre or
two Of timber next Straightforward
to.c,s felegraph.i <