The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-09-14
Forestry.

Il After awhile the subject OF forestry in |
this country will assume some methodi- |
cal character, and we shall not only cul- |
tlyate trees as we do other crops, but |
the old forests will receive such atten- |
tion as it would now almost seem absurd |
TO give them. At present they receive |
no attention at all. Year after year they 1
remain without care and dwithoutthought.
The ground on which they stand has
never had any care, and that it should
become a very hotbed of insects aud
even OF disease is very natural. We are
complaining, more or less, every year
OF the ravages Of insects, and are spend
ing annually great deal of time aud
money to protect our farms from var.
lous pests--without always ACCOMPLISH
ing the purpose either-but perhaps
maintain upon our farms these un
kept unccansed forest grounds. In
recent article which we read, the
writer expressed the thought that we
were westinga a great deal of sympathy
when we lamcnted forest fires.
He thought that their value was far in
excess OF the damages they did, and that
the value was represented not only by
the destruction of the insects which live
and breed upon forest lands, but the
guarantee which they give for q higher
degree Of public health. He even went
so f6T, If VIC remember correctly, as to
say that even the life that was LOST by
them was nothing compared to the
life that was lost through the condi-
ton OF things which the fires remedied.
Doubtless he was right, too, for we can
not but think that the decavi,ig mass OF
rubbish in our forests is productive OF
much disease and death.
However,. can not Vnpt,ro to oet;
mate the worth of life, or rather o.
death, when we can not rest upon great
er certainty than we can here. But the
sacrifice OF life iS not necessary in clean
ing up our forests. An OBJ iect that aD
pears so desirable should be accom-
pushed in SOrno moro systematic wa,
than by exposing human life, or evei
buildings and fences, to the mercy O
accident. If our forests were regularly
cleaned up, in all sections ad acent tC
settlement, the 4 niger Of fire would DC
, | greatly lesscnCd, if not entirely obviatcd
The writer referred to suggested 8
> forest commission in each State, and 8
, national c'rmiSSi0n over all, the com
| binod duty of which should be to attend
| to this matter among other things. II
f. would nOt be ;tn objection to such g
| plnN-ii itwcre esHcccssful-that would
be expensive. Expense ought not to be
: mduly considered when health ant
: life arc in the scale. Perhaps we arc
! generally too saving with our money
and too prohigate with our health IT
: cities we have boards of health whose
duty it is to clean up the dirty place!
| and to di~infect the plague spots. Tho
, work is usually not dono as well as i
, should be, but it is supposed to be done
There is certainly no reason why tn,
health OF the country should not be n
carefully guarded rs the health OF th
city, and if there Is u general source O
:, danGer-Slch aS forest Misunderstanding
} it should be purified. But there is NJ
doubt that when the saving from free
dom Of many farm insects were take,
| into consideration, the expense of q Gen
eral SUPPLEMENTARY Of forests would b
= small.
5 individually wo can do much to NEE
5 the necessities Of such II ease. If we hay
3 forest, we can clc&n it up and keep
t clean. Whom VIC shall arrive at tin
, time when forests arc cultivated, the
4 will be kept clean. They will not pre-
| sent the deDl"rahln appearance whic
Q forests now do.-- Western RlHuL.