Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-09-23
FORESTRY CONGRESS.
First Days Session-Many Interesting
Papers Read, Speeches Made, and Val.
liable Statistics Gwen in Relation to the
Destruction Of Our Forests.
BosroN, Sept. %.

cen Forestry Congress was opened TODAY at
Horticultural Hall by W. c. Strong who in
troduced Mayor O'Brien to make the intro.
ductory remarks. The mavor spoke brief
words Of welcome, stating that while the re-
sponsibilities of the new city charter had not
allowed him an opportunity to prepare such
an add.ess on the subject as he could desire
ne was fully impressed with the object of the
Congress.
At p. NJ, President Higley read several
communications, the first was from DR..
Oliver Wendell Holmes, who, while regret
ting being unable to attend the Congress,
said he hoped the people would allow the
country to retain ''leaves enough to hide its
nskedness of which it is already becoming
to be ashamed
Letters OF apology were read from Gov.
Harrison Of Connecticut. Senator Warner
Miller, chairman of the forestry committee
of Congress. Gen. w. Ward. Hon. Charles
+. Adams, Prof. Adams of Cornell Univer.
sity, Governor of Vermont and MIR. II. C.
Putnam, practical lumberman. All these
letters expressed satisfaction with the object
OF the Congress and hoped the session would
result in success.
Rev. n. II. Egleston. chief of the forestry
division of the agricultural department al
Washington, read paper giving some facts
and figures in regard to- the forests of the
country and their consumption. In the
course of his remarks the speaker said the
recent census shows that our whole area OF
land surface OF Alaska being left out of con-
sideration is $50, ,070 400 acres; the total
forest area is 440,9900 900 acres; the
total farm area is 295, $50 900 acres.
Of unimproved and waste lands, including
''old fields, there are l,ll5, ,430, 400 acres
We have 100000 miles of railway. including
side tracks. 1t has required 396, ,O0o, 900 ties
for their construction. Supposine the ties
require to be renewed once in six wears, and
10000 miles of new road built annually; il
we allow 20 wears as the time necessary for
the trees to attain size suitable for making
ties, then 1t would require Is 000, 900 acres
or standing timber 10 supply the annual de-
mand tor ties, or an area almost exactly equal
to that of Vermont, New Hampshire, Connec-
ticut and Rhode Island combined, but with
an increase of railroads its to be considered
that the annual demand for ties is all the
while increasing.
Ihe census reports a consumption of 49,
77S, ,l37 cords of wood and "a, ,OOO, 900 bushels
of charcoal for fuel in dwellings, factories,
stores. steamboats, and locomotives. This
would clear the forests in single year from
an area of 30,O00,000 acres, about equal to
The census also reports that in 1880, forest
fires consumed trees on 1924 0S9 acres and
there is no reason to believe that less area
will be burned over this year than in 1880.
The census gives the amount of lumber cut
in 1880, as $4,000, ,0O0, 900 feet. Last wear
the cut had increased to rs, ,OOO, ,OOO, 600 feet
which would lay bare an area of 5000, 900
acres, nearly equal to that of New Hampshire.
1t appears that the forests of the country AS
subject to the annual drain of 81, 7,75O, ,OS9
acres, which would clear the wooded surface,
is equal in extent to the area of all the New
England States, together with New jersey
and Maryland We may well enquire how
long the forests can endure this drain; how
long the country can endure this rapid de-
struction of the most important material ele-
meut of its prosperity.
Following Mr.. Egestons address the dele
gates were called upon to the operations of
the societies in their districts. DR.. Cutting
OF Vermont. said that at Concord a stream
of seven or eight miles in length, which for
merly was powerful enough to supply power
for two large saw mills and other small
works, has become so changed that instead
of being water supply for almost whole
year it has become dry for half its length
during two or three months in the summer
moved.
He thought stringent laws should be enact
ed to protect trees, especially in New Eng
land
Mr.. Gould, secretary Of the State Board of
Agriculture of connecticut, said the State
had empowered his board to see what could
be done in the matter of the preservation of
the forests and they were authorized to see
what could be done in connection with the
other New England States and this was being
done.
Hon. Clinton Merriam of New York.
said that the State had voted S25, 900
for the protection of trees and
in few years the people must appreciate the
work now being done.
Ex-Gov. Morton of Nebreska, ''father of
Arbor Day." did not think the question Of
rainfall had yet been satisfactorily explained.
In his own State the rainfall had greatly in
creased, and they found that the titled land
contained as much moisture as the same
weight of prairie land. In Kansas and Ne
braska the State offered premiums for the
greatest number of trees planted on Arbor
Day. The consequence was that over TO-
100000 trees had been planted in a single
day.
The discussion was followed by the follow
ing papers;
Forests of California" by Prentice Null
ford of Boston.
''The Middiesex Fels," by Eliza Wright
of Boston.
Forest Entomology" by Prof f. B.
Southwick.
AT the evening session Governor Robinson
welcomed the visitors, and pointed out that
Massachusetts was the first State to show an
appreciation of her forest trees and to make
measures to protect them. He called atten.
ton TO the pressing importance of the water
question, and the matter of preserving the
forest trees has an important bearing in this
connection.
Ex-Gov. Morton was the next speaker and
referred 10 the value of Arbor Day in pro-
noting the development of trees.
Ben Perley PoOre followed in a brief ad-
dress expressing sympathy with the objects
of the Congress.
Hon. George b. Loring was next intro
duced. He drew attention to the great value
of the forests. especially with reference t.
the commercial value Of the lumber trade.
The city Of Bangor had grown up within his
remembrance and was due to the develope-
ments of the lumber trade. At present the
value of the lumber trade is greater than
almost all our annual products from other
sources. He believed we should plant AZ
much as possible from seed and should select
those that are natives of the soil
Prof. B. G. Northrop spoke chiefly on the
Importance of planting seed where it is to re-
-