The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-12

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 ey-
erything from the size of hoop pole
up to a 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 few years, and then
abandoned, as has been practlced ex-
tensiyely in many of the older States,
and especially at the South. Itdoes not
add much to the good appearance of
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
coyerts for birds, and valuable reser-
vo,rs for retaining moisture to feed the
springs and brooks, or be dispensed by
slow evaporation, adding humidity to
the surrounding country, even il they
yield nothing else of value to their own
ers or the inhabitants of the neighbor
hood. Of course, there must be an end
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 Ia entirely neglect
them, as is now the almost universal
practice.
One thing which seems 10 work
against forest preservation in this coun-
try is the slight regard our people have
for what is generally DIES grated in Eu-
rope as Handed property" and we
have very few farmers or even proprie
tors of wild lands, arabic or otherwise,
who expect that their heirs will take
any further interest in their real estate
than TO dispose OF it to the best adTan-
tage as soon as possible after the death
of the present owners; consequently
the prevailing idea is that when cir
cumstances favor the sale of timber at
a profit, it should 90 for the benefit of the
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 ng profit during their
own lifetime; consequently they are not
likely totake any special interest in the
preservation of forests.
Under existing circumstances it could
scarcely be expected that all or even
majority of the owners of woodlands
would incur the expense necessary to
keep them in proper order, even to en-
hancc their present or future value.
They probably do not doubt the import
ance of thinning ont and destroying
worthless species, in order that the val
liable may have better chance, or of
pruning and removing dead branches
ami brush, which only increase the dan
ger from the forest fires; bnt it is diff
cult to convince them that the benefits
Justify the expense which must neces-
sarily be incurred
Whenever we have preached the sub
ject Of forest management to those who
make business OF buying woodlands
and removing the timber. the answer
has invariably cen. I'VE can't afford
to be careful, or attempt to save that
VIII .ch has no present value. These
timber dealers work for immediate r.
turn on INVESTMENTS. and Whoever
comes after them must he content with
what they find. or repair da ges As
best they can.
Ne-do- not, how Yer. dcspa + Of GO
ing fo,e5,ry take a much higher pos on
among the industries of this country
than it holds at the present time, and
the subject of forest preservation needs
only to re agitated, and the attention of
the people called to it, to accomplish
all that is required in this direction.
| There will lie no difficulty in saving an
abundance Of wood for future use, and
also in improving the appearance and
enhancing the,Falue of woodlands gen
orally, whether they are owned by pri-
vate citizens or the public. The people
must be shown that it is for Their own
good that certain areas OF forests, looat-
ed in different parts of the country,
should be preserved; also taught how
! to manage the smaller forests and
woods. in order to make them a per-
petual source of income to the owners.
The different States as well as the gen
eral Government have an opportunity
of showing the. people what is needed,
and it should be done now, while there
is wild land upon which to make the
necessary experiments, in order to show
how the greatest results in the way OF
Influence on climate and the preserva-
ton OF valuable tim er may be obtain
ed N T. Sun.