Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-01-19
rne Tree Question.

the future of this continent than
the protection and preservation OF
its forests. Sir Samuel Baker,
who recently returned from .
hunting expedition in the Big
Horn country Of Wyoming, said
that the extensive and wanton
burning OF the Rocky Mountain
woodlands was an evil OF such
magnitude that he was astonished
10 dad hundreds Of square miles In
. blaze, carrying on the march Of
devastation until quenched by a
heavy rainfall or arrested by the
high mountain tops above timber
hne. The reckless miners and
thoughtless hunters, traders and
travellers, who are responsible for
this prodigious waste. bid fair to
convert fertile valleys aud coPisus
river sources into arid deserts and
dried up gulohes.
It is q we'll known law that for
est destruction Of q wholesale char
acter diminishes rainfall. and
eventually banishes 1t altogether.
Hence the anxiety of the more en-
lIghtened governments to save
their native and prlmeval timber
intact, knowing that its reproduce
ton and preservation are the life's
blood Of the country itself. What
will be the ultimate result, judging
from evidences of the past? Our
rich Western regions will become
gradually parched; brooks and
streams will die out forever; I'm.
portant feeders of Q great river
system will become extinct, low
erIng the level, perhaps, of such q
channel a. the Mississippi river,
and ono word will be written
across the face of the country
desolatIon.
That this is no exaggeration may
be understood from the fact that il
was recently reported at the an
nual meeting of the Geographical
Society Of Vienna by Councillor
Wex, that the Volga is decreasing
In volume, owing to the destruc-
ton Of wood in it's valley, so as to
materially affect the level OF the
Caspian sea and the sea of Aral. 1t
10 apparent, therefore, that the
most vital question In connection
with this wonderful domain be-
yond the Rocky Mountains is the
preservation Of Its forests. As long
90 IL lie possible for one adventures
to build his camp fire in the wood
and leave It to the mercy of the
winds, thus laying waste what
would be . respectable county In
an Eastern commonwealth, this
destruction and consequent physl-
cal disorder will 60 on. Appro-
pirate legislation sternly executed
is only . partial remedy. The
science Of forestry, as studied and
applied in the older countries Of
Europe, must be introduced and
cultivated here.
In nearly all of the countries Of
the Old World forestry. In sonnec-
tion with climatology, geology.
and kindred branches, is taught In
nearly all the universities, and the
several governments take an espe-
clal interest in expert graduates
In this branch. Particularly is
this true, curiously enough, In
countries where is the largest pro-
portion Of woodland, ss in Russia,
sweden, Germany and Austria.
The lowest occurs in Great Britain,
Denmark, Spain and Holland.
Over forty-two per cent. OF the
acreage Of Russia Is forest, while
Britain has q little over three per
cent. In Germany more attention
10 given to arboriculture than In
any other western power.
America, of all quarters of the
world, lie the most thickly wooded
with the primevsl forest, which was
Of vast extent and contained o
great variety of species, covering,
with Insignificant exceptions, all
that portion Of our continent
which was occupied by the colo
nists; but now ii IL doubtful, sc-
c0rding to the very best author.
tiles, II any State of the Union,
save Oregon, has more woodland
than 1t ought permanently to pre-
serve. Our Eastern and Middle
Akataa were Mt one TINA Eanso for.