Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-16
OUR FORESTS.
Wasteful Methods OF Clearing.


OUR FORESTS.
Wasteful Methods OF Clearing.
DESTRUCTION BY FIREs-SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR
PRESERVATION.
To the Editor of THE Evening STAR:
1t is extremely unfortunate that nothing less
than dire calamity will bring an important SUBJ
Ject IN Its proper light before the public.
The Newhall horror attracted the worlds at
tention to the Importance Of providing fire
escapes. The grassIopper scourge of the west
proved the folly of not protecting the birds by
legal enactments; when populous cities were
overwhelmed by terrible floods the influence of
forests upon the flow of water began to be dis
cussed by those who hitherto had been careless
upon the subject; yet votaries Of forestry had
for many years predicted that just such floods
were liable to occur at any time.
The fast disappearing forests now call for a
halt in the modes Of destruction prevailing in
many timber districts. A few years since grand
black walnut trees were cut and piled one on
top of another to make fences around the land.
Were these trees now standing the land would
be worth hundred times more than at present.
In Washington territory. where some of the
finest bodies of timber exist the most wasteful
methods OF clearing are followed. Trees seven
to eight feet in diameter are cut at height Of
eight feet. leaving 200 to $50 cubic feet in the
stump to be burned. Only the very best portion
of the tree is sent tomarket; all that is in the
least inferior is destroyed by fire. Many trees
somewhat less valuable are left to be destroyed
by swaying In the wind after the clearing or
fired If the land is desired. The maple, most
valuable hard wood is cut to make "skid
roads" over which to haul these monster frs,
instead of taking the inferior or worthless trees.
which are SO plentiful. The land is skinned
over; the cream taken. the rest destroyed
At the mills are fires that aren not extinguished
from one year to another, ever fed from an end
less chain, carrying slabs and inferior lumber
that should be utilized by some means less dan
gerOus than this fuel pile Fine bodies of alder,
from so to 100 feet in height and two feet In
diameter. are cut and piled to rot, for the pur-
pose OF getting little piece of bottom land
cleared. That alder lumber Is worth from GO to
100 dollars per thousand feet.
On the banks of q little lake were few acres,
not to exceed 1Orty of good land. having a
gentle slope to the water of the lake, the rest Of
the land was rough, steep hill sides. rocky. and
covered with young thickets Of fir, of about
twenty years growth fire having passed
through the region some twenty-five years
since which destroyed aiarge portion of the tim
Der. An ignorant foreigner had taken a pre-
emption claim on this level tract, extending into
the hills. In order to fulfil the requirements
OF the law. that of clearing and cultiva-
ton, he undertook 10 cut out the brush
ana young trees with a brush hook. This
he found, was slow progress. and the
moss. twigs, branches OF trees and logs being
dry from the long continued drouth he set fire
to the little clearing. 1t rapidly spread to the
adjoining woods, and burned for two months
with great fury. extending for miles in every di-
rection. heading aar@e creek. and coming back
to the lake on the opposite side after circuit of
twelve miles. Asthe vicinity had been burned
over previously. as stated it went with greater
velocity. as the growth was so extremely thick
young trees standing as close as they could posi-
bly,, and thirty feet tall the under limbs dead and
al
The former fire had left many fine patches OF
green timber, which this second burning to-
tally destroyed
As the fire moves rapidly the flames ascend,
leaplng higher and higher, from limb to limb,
Kissing. as it devours one thicket after another.
the wind thus created roaring and tanning the
flames as they reach new fuel, attacking q
mighty monarch of the forest quickly ascending
the dry mass of bark and ptch to the very top
of the highest limbs; the tree, on fire its whole
length, surrounded by masses of smoke and
flame from the immense quantity of ready fuel
about 1t. with heat so intense to destroy every
vestige of animal and vegetable lfe is burned
off at the ground and, as its twenty tons weight
falls to the earth the crash like that Of thunder
resoundS from mountain top to mountain top.
Crash after crash is heard, as the receedng
flames reach these mammoth groves and in the
distance the sound is deadened. but all night
long we hear peal after peal, showing the great
destruction that is taking place.
In the morning we look upon vast sea of
black and still smoking stumps old logs still on
fire, ashes, burning limbs, blackened rocks where
yesterday was life. beauty. and valuable forests
Trees that had grown for thousand years.
destroyed In day, low lying, or mere shapeless
masses OF aSh--tO be scattered by the winds
and rains. never to be collected again! Land
that would cost 800 per acre to clear Is
taken for agricultural purposes and if market
Is not convenient for the sale of logs it is often
cleared by fire, of timber worth ten times the
value of the land.
Under the present laws, one man may buy q
tract on which are ten million feet of timber
worth at the saw mills $40, 600; for this he pays
200 II he takes 1t at presumption, or free if he
hOmesteads it,
Another man desiring a tract with one fourth
the amount of timber must pay double the price
for it if he does not take it for q farm. That
Is, under the present laws. every facility is
given man to take this valuable timber land
for farm purposes and to destroy the timber in
order to fulfil the lap by clearing and cutirat-
ing; and he gets 1t at the minimum price, while
the one who buys tract for its timber value
must pay double the price, and if contested by
one who is willing to swear that it is fit tor a
farm. he invariably loses his right to purchase
the land. Besides, he is loaded with expenses
and technicaties far more than he who buys for
agricultural purposes
There are vast tracts Of mountain lands that
have 6ne growths of timber upon them, but
which are at present difficult of access, unsur-
veyed and largely UNEMPLOYED. These will in
future produce a revenue to the government
and supply Of lumber to answer all probable
requirements Of the natiOn-providng they are
protected from humiliation by fires and ruthless
chopping. These fires are caused by accident at
times, but more often by carelessness, by allow
ing the fires to spread while burning in a
clearing. There should be reasonable number
of foresters or government agents provided to
properly guard this timber and prevent its
waste.
All timber land should be withdrawn from
sale under the presumption and homestead laws
classified, and appraised at fair value, according
to the density and quality of the timber; the
amount sold to each person limited to square
mile, to prevent its MONOPOLY.
Stringent laws should:be enacted prohibiting
the burning of brush. logs, stumps, &C., during
the months from May to September.
Twenty-Five Millions Of dollars worth of tim
Der was destroyed last summer in Washington
territory. A small proportion of this sum would
pay the expenses'of such agents for hundred
years. JOHN P. BROWN.
To q Rosebud.