The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-04-12
Management OF Forests.

lhere Is really more neeu OF proper
management of the forests now exist
ing in this country thin of raising new
ones, with the exception, OF course, of
regions that are entirely destitute of
trees, like the great prairies and plains
| of the West. In all the older States,
both North and South, there still remain
vast tracks covered with forests; and
] while in many instances the largest and
most valuable trees have been removed.
] others of the same kinds are coming on
to take their places, or at least would do
! so if allowed fair chance in their
| struggles for existence. AS a rule,
however, the timber in greatest demand,
| or that which will command the best
price, is taken first, and in removing
the trees, others, which, in the near fu-
| ture, might be equally valuable, are de-
stroyed through carelessness and mis-
management If the demand happens
to be for very large timber, the forests
are overrun, and all trees that meet the
requirements are taken, with little or no
regard to the destruction OF those OF
less size.
| Next year, perhaps, there will be a
| demand for railroad ties; if so, smaller
trees are taken out of whatever kinds
| the contract calls for, and, with few ex-
ceptions, all parts of the trees not used
| for the purpose named are left as fuel
| for feeding forest fires, which occur far
too frequently for the good of the coun-
| try as we'll as of the owners of the for
ests in question. This destruction of
| first one kind of timber and then of
another, to meet the ever changing de-
mand, without giving any thought to
the future, is but one of the many errors
committed by the owners of forests in
all of our older States, and, we may
add, some of the new ones.
| In the older States there is at the
present time very little cutting down of
forests for the purpose of increasing the
area of cultivable land. This is now
principally done for the purpose of dis
posing of the timber and wood. Dealers
in these articles. many of whom have a
large amount of capital invested in Their
business, go to regions where they can
find what they want, and either buy the
timber or purchase the land outright;
after which they cut off the trees or what
they happen to need at the time, and
| then sell the land for whatever it will
bring. If they can not sell it they keep
i it. and as soon as there are any kinds
of trees large enough to be valuable
they are again removed.
We know of some extensive tracts of
| woodlands within hundred miles of
| New York that have been cut over sew
| eral times in this way. The large oaks,
chestnuts, hickories, tulips and similar
trees were first cut for ships docks and
building purposes in general, and then
the smaller trees left to themselves for
| the next twenty years or more, when
! another visit would be made, and ev-
erything from the size of a hoop pole
up to fence post would be cut out,
provided there was sale for such arti-
cles. This system is certainly prefera-
BILE to total destruct on of the forest
and the breaking up of the land, to be
exhausted in a few years, and then
abandoned, as has been praeticed ex-
tensively in many of the older States,
and especially at the South. 1t does not
add much to the good appearance of a
country to be on all sides wilderness
of brush; still this is better than land
| that has been made so unfertile by cul-
tivation and neglect that it will produce
neither grass, weeds, nor trees. Be-
sides, neglected woodlands are good
coverts for birds, and valuable reser
voirs for retaining moisture to feed. the
springs and brooks, or be d spensed by
slow evaporation, adding humidity to
the grounding country, even if they
yield nothing else of value to their own
| ers or the inhabitants of the neighbor-
/ y1ox- ret lo o,,1
of this wasteful destruction of what
might become valuable timber under
proper management, but it will not
| happen until the price of wood of all
kinds has advanced considerably above
present quotations, or the owners of for
ests generally can be convinced that it
is more profitable to take good care of
their woodlands than to entirels neglect
| them, as is now the almost universal
practice.
One thing which seems 10 work
against forest preservation i'm this coun-
try is the slight regard our people have
for what is generally designated in Eu-
rope as LANDED property" and we
have very few farmers or even proprie-
tors of wild lands, arabic or otherwise,
who expect that their heirs will take
an further interest in their real estate
than to dispose of it to the best advan-
tage as soon as possible after the death
of the present owners; conse luently
the prevailing idea is that when cir
cumstances favor the sale of timber at
a profit, it should go for the benefit of the
present generation, without taking into
consideration the interests of those who
may follow. There are, it is true, some
exceptions to this rule, and occasionally
a farmer will so manage his woodlands
that no timber is wasted and. none dis
posed of until it has reached its maxi
| mum of value. There are also capital
lists who purchase woodlands as an in
| vestment, but mainly with the expecta-
ton of realiz NC profit during their
own lifetime; consequently they are not
likely to take any special interest in the
preservation of forests.
Under existing circumstances it could
| scarcely be expected that all or even a