The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-15
Our Olio.
Importance of Forests.


of France, for instance, amount to 3,000,-
900 acres, it is said, and yield an annual
revenue of S5,000,000. Many of the
provinces and departments also are large
forest proprietors Germany has about
5000, 900 acres in forest, nearly one-third
of which belongs to the state, one-sixth to
the communes, and somewhat less than
one.half to private individuals Other Eu-
ropean countries have larger forest areas,
with correspondingly larger revenues. The
recognized Importance of the forest interest
has led to the establishment in most Euro
pean countries of what are known as schools
of forestry ranking in impor-
tance with our colleges and polytechnic
schools They furnish course of instruc-
tion from two to two and half years in
length.
The important place which forestry holds
abroad may be seen from the fact that there
are nine Of these schools in Germany and
one or more in every European country ex-
eept Great Britain, which has hardly any
forests to care for, while the abundant
moisture from her surrounding seas, and
her exemption from severe summer heats
on account Of her high latitude, prevent
her from suffering from the absence Of trees
as she otherwise would
In eur own country we have gone to the
forests in kind of freebooter style, cutting,
and burning more than we could cut, acting
for the most part as though all the while
in frolie or fight, until now at length,
after century or two Of this sort of work,
we are waking up TO the facts that our
once boundless woods are disappearing, and
that we are likely to suffer no little loss
thereby But it Is only the few who seem
now TO have any adequate sense of our con
dition as effected BY the threatened loss of
the trees. In recent publication, issued
BY authority Of one of our Western States
for the express purpose Of attracting settlers
from European countries, the statistics of
It's great lumber production are elaborately
set forth, accompanied by the assurance
that the present enormous consumption Of
trees for this purpose may be continued ten
or fifteen years longer before the forests
win be destroyed The cool uneoneern in
regard 10 the future shown in this is very
noticeable. After Us, the deluge. A
corresponding feeling, though working on
much smaller scale, Is seen in an adver-
tisement, and Of a class often appearing in
our older states. Brace up Young Man.
You have lived on your parents long
enough. Buy this farm, cut of the wood,
hanl II 10 market, get your money for it.
aud pay for the farm The owner es-
Inmates that there win be 500 cords Of
market wood And so, all over the coun-
try, ON the large scale and ON the small,
the axe Is laid at the roots Of the trees,
and our forests are disappearing. 1t IS es-
tImated that 5000, 900 acres of forest land
are cleared every year, aud that in ten
years previous to 1876, l2,000,000 acres
were burned over simply to clear the land.
The very necessities of their situation
have aroused the people of some Of our
Western states to action. In Kansas, Ne
braska, and other states liberal premiums
have been offered for the encouragement
of tree-planting, and already in many por-
tons Of the prairie region a perceptible
change has taken place, and the eve no
longer wanders over great spaces without
sight Of shrub OF tree Minnesota has her
Forestry Association, and its secretary re-
ports that between seven and ten millions
Of trees were planted in that state during
the year 1877, Of which more than half
million were planted in single day, aArbor
Day, as il is called, or ee-planting day,
the first Tuesday Of May having been fix
cd upon as the day, and every owner of
land invited 10 devote the day especially to
the planting Of trees Similar efforts have
been made in other states which are simi-
hrly situated in respect TO a supply of
forest, The great railway companies
whose roads stretch across the treeless prai-
ries, have become in some instances large
planters of trees, feeling the need of them
both as screens from the fierce storms that
sweep down from the Rocky Mountains,
and as a source of supply for the ties which
are constantly needing renewal.
Tree-planters manuals are published and
distributed freely, with view to aid those
who would plant by giving them the expe-
rience already obtained in regard TO the
most profitable trees to plant and the best
methods of planting. Thus in some places
there is already quite movement in the
right direction. In the reports of planting
the figures make an imposing aggregate.
But a liberal discount needs to be made for
the probable failure of large percentage
for the trees planted. And even with the
most generous estimate in regard to the
work of planting, what is accomplished as
vet is but fraction Of what needs to be
done 1t is but the feeble beginning Of
vast work The talk is of millions of
trees planted. This sounds we'll. But a
good many trees can stand upon an acre,
and the latest estimates put the annual de-
crease of our forest area at seven million
acres. So that Minnesota, with all her ar
dor in this work, has only planted one tree
for every acre of trees destroyed An area
equal to that of the state of Maryland is
every year swept clean of its trees, This
is a large section to be taken yearly out OF
our forest resources, With all that We art
vet doing in the way of tree-planting, the
Udiaiicc u fdfScty aSdihse us- W iel an ehs
interest and energy manifested by the
young West on this subject, stimulated by
her most pressing need, we are only plant
ing one acre while thirty-fve are laid bar,
by the axe and by fire. And We mus
consider also that the work of destruction
goes on at an increasing rate from year tC
year as our population and our industries
increase, and that the trees which are fell
ed are the product, on the average, of more
than century's growth, while those we
plant must grow during century before
they can fill their place,
Bachelor Jones-s'The state would be
better off if every Chinaman was kicked
out of it tomorrow" His married friend
-''Where would you get your washing
done then ?" Bachelor Jones-'Marry
some nice girl and get it done at home. =
Chorus by six eligible young ladies who