Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-03-25
NEW FORESTRY FOR VIRGINIA.

Man as GODS vioegerent On earth las
many duties to perform. One Of his chief
responsibilities is to cause the soil to yield
in fullness the blessings it is capable of be-
slowing. 1t is his privilege to draw with
out restraint from its fruitfuiness, and 1t IS
incumbent upon him to return with inter-
est the benefits he receives. No matter
from what sources or from what causes ex-
traordinary exertion is made necessary on
his part to meet the situation, no excuse,
according to divine and natural laws, can
be made to relieve him from the effort to
restore barren fields and pillaged forests to
their wonted state. The plea that poor
and rough lands, though once in cultiva-
ton, cannot now be made to yield the cost
which would accrue in bringing them into
profitable fertility, is proper one, and
goes into the account for its value at the
required settlement. But grass, and cere-
ais, and fruit, are not all which return
abundant rewards for sowing and planting
and from which may be gathered full re-
turns with large profits.
From the time Virginia was settled by
civilized men to this day there has been an
nually, growing in amount, vast treasures
realized, without solitary effort made, as
far as we can call to mind, by legislation
or by associations of men for restoration Of
the resources, though they can be so easily
renewed, from which millions of wealth
have been drawn. 1t is not only the Scared
and mutilated plains, and hills, and noun
tain sides which, with eloquent though
mute pleadings, appeal for restoration, be-
cause they can bring forth again ten-fold OF
more, but the dreary, desolate fields given
up to bramble and thorns, beseech the
kindly hand of effort to place them again
in their native majesty as producers OF no
be forest trees. Considering the hardness
of man, it is a question if his delay can at
all be justified, whether or not improved
transportation facilities have not come too
rapidly, as through their fundamentally
are the means for sweeping away the gran
deur and wealth of the country in its for
no means equal to intrinsic value. We
would not check the growth Of commerce
nor arrest development, but the situation
as it is should cause US to arouse from a
fatal lethargy and commence the work of
restoration.
To make new and improve our old for
ests, like agriculture, is the work of the
States and the people. The Federal gov
eminent is leading the way in all that it
can appropriately perform, in gathering and
imparting information, and in fostering and
improving the government domain in forest
growth. 1t cannot go upon private prop
erty, nor can it say to the States what laws
shall be enacted or what systems adopted
for this interest, important as it is. 1t is
for the States and the people that are inter-
ested to take the matter in hand and carry
forward such designs. AS early as 1871, a
society to promote forest-growth was Or
ganized in New York as State institution,
and perhaps in one or two other States SIM
liar proceedings OCCURRED in our early his
tory. 1t is only recently that the General
Government, in 1878 perhaps, moved in the
matter. Maine and Vermont are already
realizing from new forest-growth, and
Texas, we think, is at this time enjoying
the benefits Of income frem the propoga-
ton of the valuable hard woods. California,
Iowa, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Pennsyl-
vania to some extent have progressed in
the good work. The territories of Wash
ington and Dakota have also laws for pro-
noting tree-culture and forestry. West
| Virginia, by the means of her free schools,
is making some progress in tree-planting,
which will probably grow into efforts on a
larger scale The schools have annually,
| we think in April, what is known as
| "Arbor Day." when all the pupils, as
well as teachers and officers, plant at least
one tree each. A generous spirit is spread
ing from this effort on the part of the
schools, which will increase and should
lead to concerted schemes under laws and
the cooperation of all citizens.
In considering the subject, we are met
by the unreasonable, though hitherto all
powerful objection, that the reward is too
remote for the time and labor expended.
It Is really not SO. Rough and SCARED
lands which now yield nothing, and dis
tressing enough to look upon, with little
work can be placed in condition to receive
the seeds of the hickory, oak, and walnut
sown broadcast. In five years time, the
sprouts of the hickory and oak will make
barrel hoops, and in ten years the yield will
be immense in hoops for hogsheads and
casks, which are now annually increasing in
demand. Thus the surface is cleared of a su-
perabundancc of growth and left to mature
the stately forest trees Of hickory, oak, and
walnut. Soma of our most worn and
toughest lands have good subsoils, the chief
requisite for thrifty. forest growth. The
shade aud falling foliage, retaining moist
ure, soon make surface fertility, and time
accomplishes all and yields the full fruition
of large profits. The work can progress
upon any scale and after handsomely drawn
plans. The principles and methods gov
erning horticulture can be adopted and ap-
piled, and where now time and labor are
spent without reward in cultivating poor
soils. there can arise beautiful parks of
oak, locust, walnut, poplar, ash, and all
the valuable woods indigenous to our sec.
ton of country, and our children made to
rejoice in their day and generation because
of the timely care and fostering watchful-
ness of their fathers. On every acre, not
in profitable production of the grasses, ce-
reals, and fruits, should be coming groves
of valuable timber. we can have it so, if
we will. We establish governments and
institutions of all kinds for future as well
as present needs. We foster and promote
agriculture for the same purposes, and
why should not the only really beneficial
interest we can introduce to supplsnt pow
erty-stricken surfaces and end the suprem-