The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-12-29
EorestrY.

Forestry.
The following essay by Judge q. w. Law
ton, was read at the recent meeting of horti-
culturists at Flint.
1t seems to me, those who have given at
tention to the matter in hand do not fail to
see that the inordinate rage for wealth, among
men in civilized countries involves the forests
and their destruction.
1t also seems to me that the course of the
friends of forestry, lies in the way of the for
est ravager, to point him out as public enc
my; in that he is broadening the way to ruin
if not Immediately for himself certainly for
his fellows: and he should be brought to sur
render his immediate and indiscriminate zeal
for "more trees to slaughter" and taught ju-
dicious respect for the laws and agencies of
nature in the vegetable world, and lively
horror for the irretrievable disasters that
crowd so hard upon his work.
know the tree slayer will resent these
charges, for he prides himself upon his skill
to turn forests into money, and conceives
himself to be public benefactor, reducer
of woodlands into pillow fields, and pioneer
of the rose, that will make the wilderness red
olent; but he masquerades under one of the
colors of the horticultural cloak, and that, for
personal gain only. would strip.it off from
him.
! never so fully felt the force of Drayton's
protest and imprecation, written in the six
tenth century, upon the unreasoning de-
struction of forests then going on in Europe,
that left upon that continent its legacy of
barrenness and stunted vegetation not yet
exhausted, indeed, inexhaustible, as when,
last spring, stepped from the cars at Dun
ningville and saw north, east and west. the
trunks of trees gaunt and lifeless, standing
in countless numbers as far as the eye could
reach-the desoiation of axe and fire. In
stantly the words blazed up in memory:
"Our trees so hacked above the ground.
That where their lofty tops the neighboring coun-
tries crowned,
Their trunks like aged-foiks now bare and naked
stand.
As for revenge to Heaven each held withered hand.
Indeed who divines but the poet thought
/, and turning, found what Justly belonged
there-a miserable poverty struck station
house and denizen. One pleasant feature
only met my eye-a little barefooted girl.
deeply Drowned by the wind and sun, offer
ing lunches OF wintergreens laden with their
bright red berries-natures delicacy in want
for sale. l ventured to ask the proprietor of
a country wagon, among other things, wheth-
or the soil beyond the "barrens" held its
moisture well. No ne answered. mot as well
as it used to-the springs and catholics are
drying out Perhaps you can make your
gardens in Them" suggested a quizzing run
ner standing near us. "Y-e-s," said the
farmer slowly, IF the knobs don't blow into
EN- The scalping power of the west wind
over the sodless. sun-burnt sand knobs was
doubtless known experientially to him and
he answered accordingly.
One of the comprehensive congratulations
his journey around the world is, that the soil
of the old world is worn out: and its poverty
is driving the inhabitants to the new for food,
and the realistic descriptions given by travel
ors of the appalling poverty prevailing in the
treeless tracts found everywhere in the old
world show good warrant for the increasing
hot H.. "A
should not follow them.
The commercial reports of the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts give the price Of American tim
Der in the markets of Asia and Europe. and
daily record the rate at which the old world
is absorbing what its costly experience should
teach US to guard. Salutary laws are need
cd 20 control the matter and prevent cruel
waste; laws that will allow the cutting of tim
Der providently and restrain all improvidence.
This is a national matter before us, only be-
cause we are affected by the general welfare
of the nation.
In a more restricted way the horticulturists
of Michigan shall throw their influence in ia
vor of forestry laws, applicable to ourselves
Laws of such purport no doubt will find
sanction in the general police law that under
lies and preserves society, and is always in
voked in presence of immediate ard threat
ening danger. Sains popult snprCma Ter
est
Indeed il is the first duty Of the citizen to
see that the community gets no harm from
individual and fragnentary action, OF, as
Cicero said on a memorable occasion, 4" Vid-
ere., re mid repablicd detrtmcntj caperd."