The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-04-08
SELECT LITERATU RE.
WHAT WE OWE TO THE TREES

observers in the world presented til,
subject to many in new and very inter
cstng light. Some efforts have beer
made within the last few wears to SecuI,
Congress lonai action for the protection
OF what forests remain in the public pos
session. IS the result of Il mcmora
from the American Association for tho
Advancement of Science in 1876. tn,
Commissioner of Agriculture waS di
rected To appoint some competent person
to inquire aud report concerning our for
est products. the means OF preserving
and heWiUg forests. the effects of forest,
upon climate. and the methods that have
been adopted III other countries witt
success IN the management of them. The
report nude under this appointment ha,
been recently published in part ana en-
bodies great amount of information
upon the subject of which it treats. Il
is to be hoped that the unpublished parr
of the report will soon appear. But il
shows the general uncpncern in relation
10 the matter that the Secretary OF til,
| Interior. "hn. with All intelligent know !
edge of the Importance of the subject.
and familiarity with the European
methods of treatment. would be glad t.
take efficient measures for the preserva
ton OF the national forests. is unable Il
procure from Congress the appropriations
| f.,. l,I ,,f. .
who commit deprrdatinns upon the tim
Der lands beonyinm to the government.
and who are threatening them with ire
parable injury.
Ignore the matter as we may, shut our
eyes to facts as we please. we are rapid
approaching the condition of things il
| Europe which has called for the interp"-
! sition of governmental authority for the
preservation of the very soil itself from.
| hopeless barrenncsS. and to protect great
national industries from permanent i'll
jury.
While in some portions of Our country
there is still IN ample supply of forest
| the latest statistics show that in the pro
portion of forest area to the entire sur
face this country stands below Norwa,.
| Sweden. Russia. and Germany. Y great
| treeless belt from three hundred and fit,
! to eight hundred miles in width stretches
! from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic
| Ocean. Sometimes this is absolutely dies
fitute of trees aS far a. the eve can SEC
Elsewhere there are trin@c> If trees alnn-
the river courses. The hraviN timbereH
Black Hills stand ont Ike ali island il,
the midst ut an ocean. Other >imi'ai
detached forests are "r..asio'rllly f,Inr
Beyond the Rocky Mnuntait :. again
there is another trcelrss region extend
Ing from the Columbia River to MtXico.
and Professor Brewer SAYS il is possible
to cross the continent from the Pacific
u the GuI' nf Mexico without passing
through forest five miles in e,;tCut
Persons VIII" have travcr>cd our newer
western States. almost ali of which are
deficient in forests. report the dcstruc.
ton Of even those limited supplies OF
timber 10y fire As being sad to behold
The Miners cun>ume great quantities oi
timber in the prosecution OF their work:
but reckless are many of the settlers
and traders in the destruction of he
trees that aell-intcrest has prompted the
miners in some cases 10 establish Il - =
TEN of lynch law for the protection "f
the forests. One SAW rniil on the Reveal
cut over two million feet of biz, tree
lumber in one season. But il these mill
ing operations waste far exceeds use: tor
after the choice young manageable trees
on any given spot have been iclied. the
woods are fired to clear the ground of
limbs and refuse, with reference to fur
Their operations, and OF course most Of
the seedlings and saplingS are destroyed.
In the Rocky Mountain region hundreds
of square miles are distiYured by the
trunks of trees blackeued b. fire. Where
one tree is cut for use, ten probably are
consumed by the flames. Prof. Hayden,
i'll his report of 1871, speaking of this
subject, calls attention To the TACT that
these barred districts are not covered
again 10y IL subsequent growth of trees.
but remain bare tor everuore. lie Iutl-
mates also that there is reason to believe
that IL that mountain legion, even when
undlsturbed by the hand OF man. the
forests are gradually disappearing under
iniilI..nt.,- M u.triIt.l n In
same strain. Il writer III the Virginia H..
ttrprtSc, Nevada, says: - 1t Viii Ue but :,
very short time before we shall be able
10 observe the effect that stripping the
me forests from the SiIies and summit
OF the Sicrlls Will have on the climate
ot this State aud California. Ia Il very
| lew Years every accessible tree. even 10
such as are only OF value as nre-wuud.
will be swept from the mountains. Even
now this has been done i'll some places.
1t is to be hoped that Il new growth uI
| pines OF timber trees of some kind may
| spring up ON the ground tia; has been
cleared. but We do not hear that any
| growth has yet started. The President
of the State Boald OF Agriculture of CALI
tornla reported ten years ago that within
twenty Years at least u third oi the whole
native suppl, Of access BIZ Timber hau
been cut OF ur destroyed, and that, juds
ing the future by the past, it would ie-
qulre only about forty Years To exhaust
the remainder. He says: thousands
upon thousands OF the modest and mos,
! Nevada districts have been destroyed
without scarcely an object L purpose,
certainly with no adequate benefit 10 the
| destroyer or to any one else.
Reports like these might be multiplied
| to almost any extent, and 1t is only when
We bring such reports together that we
are able to get a proper notion OF the
work of sylvan destruction that is going
on and which is threatening Us with such
| d lnger-dauger not only Of :; scarcity Of
| lumber and wood. and the enhance
ment of the cost of y multitude Of arti-
cles of comfort and convenience. but dam
ger of u deterioration OF climate. carry
ing with it Il diminished productiveneSs
Of cur fields, and influences detrme'4tal
to health. This danger can hardly be
overstated. nor can we he too prompt or
| The large place which fnr, try ioiiS in
| European countries Is striking shown Ia
the American mind Ivy the numb, OF nuh