Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-20
PROTECTION Of FORESTS.

The reckless destruction of ourforests
has been allowed to 60 en- simply be-
cause there is no popular apprehension
or knowledge of its results. Aside from
few musty statutes and little tree
planting here and there by village de-
cOrative societies, mainly in New En-
gland and New York, together with the
Tree culture required under law of Con-
gress permitting the taking up OF new
land, no organized efforts ha been
made to prevent the disrobing OF our
mountains. After many articles apd
lectures on the danger to the great Wa
ter supplies resulting from the des5ruc-
ton of forests, it is encouraging TO know
that the New York chamber of com
merce has taken the initiative in q war
for preservation, aud will, if possible
save the Adirondack woods. The sue
cess of any movement, there or else
where, however, depends much upon
an intelligent public sentiment, and
general realization VI the dangers OF The
wholesale telling of forest trees.
There are many reasons why the pub
is apaIhetic on this question, not the
least of which is that the councils OF the
wise are divided as to the immediate
danger. Commissioner George Loring in
his recent address before the American
forestry Congress iii session az st. Paul,
while admitting the ram producing in
J fiuence of forests and showing how the
Venetian ship builders had turned the
luxuriant Karst region of southern Aus
tria into an unwatered landscape, still
undertook to impress it on the public
that there may be danger of assuming
to hastily a prospective timber famine.
He says:
Denude any portion of this forest sur
face and trees spring up spontaneously
and grow rapidly. There are millions
OF acres of young forests in the south in
which the the corn mills are almost as
prominent as when the waving c )rn oc-
cupied the surface. Nature abh0rs a
vacuum of brown sedge, the first growgh
of abandoned fields, and speedily replac-
es 1t with a forest of pine.
This optimist view of the case Is
echoed by lesser lights and does deal
of mischief. DIR. Loring himself admits
that the southern forests are now being
thought of as a source of timber supply.
Why so if the northern mountains are
inexhautibly cladP A local paper in the
Connecticut valley has been recently
saying that the popular theory OF q
diminishing volume of water in the Con
necticut river resulting fron the destruc-
ton of the forests is iliu-
sionary.'' The opinion of Prof Sar-
gent of the Harvard College, whose at
tention has been called to this state
ment is that an american forest is
doomed a soon as active numbering OPP
erations begin within its bordeEs. since
the debris acts as kindHhg wood to
) spread destructive fires which destroy
all the Seeding trees. This danger IS So
well understood. he says, that 1t mas be-
come the usual custom IN northern New
, Hampshire and Vermont TO make 8
: sweep of every tract from which the saw
logs have been culled, and to manufae
? ture charcoal from the the, trees too
small for the mill. In this way great
, tracts of mountain side are LAID bare
? yearly about the headwaters of tue Con
/ necticut. Great states where agricult-
5 ure is wealth and where the great rivers
: are wheel-horses to the mills, are vitality
considered with this question The
t woodlands. ak opens and drains the
5 storage grounds for the water supply o.
! great valleys, dries up the small stFeani
: and pliers the profits OF the farmer
The evil is the work of sons, but the
remedy viii demand the slow repair
t ment of DECADE E~-Leavenw nth TIMES