Smyrna times., 1888-08-22
ABOUT FORESTRY.
IT'S PROGRESS INA TREELESS STATE
OF THE WEST.


What Nebraska Has DOne-InrOads Made
by the Lumber SIen-The Annual Rain
fan-FOrestry in the State of New York.
Objects.
In writing on forestry Gen. James S.
Brisbin, U. S. A., not only presents the
general features of his theme, but de-
scIibes the peculiarities and uses of each
American tree. While 5000, 900 trees are
cut in this country every year only ,O0O,
900 are planted. To reproduce the for
ests that have been cut away would take
forty generations. Of course no one de-
sires to turn the country into q wilder
ness again, but there is a danger line in
forest destruction that has already been
passed in many localities in America as
in whole regions, now the scene of desc
lation, in Europe.
When Gen. Brisbin turned forester the
subject had made no public impression.
Few journals could be induced to give
him a hearing One of the first to aid
him with his pen was William Cullen
Bryant. The progress that has BEEN
made is not insignificant. Nebraska,
once called the treeless state, is covered
with young forests, and will soon be Us
well timbered as an eastern state. For
several years past from 100000 70
20,000,000 trees have been set annually
in that state. It's arbor day is an annual
holiday. The governor of Nebraska offers
a large reward each year to the family
that will set out the greatest number of
forest trees "When / was there" the
general writes, cit was $500 for the first
q 1, L.
down to $25 Even the women and chill
dren could earn premiums, medals and
diplomas, and great was the competition
for these rewards of the state. Patches
of timber have sprung up everywhere,
and where a few years ago only the naked
plain was seen, now waves a gOodly for
est" Trees 10 and IL years old are 30
feet high and 8 to 10 inches in diameter.
Forest trees well cared for grow with
great rapidity in the west. Sage brush
land when irrigated will produce from
twenty-five to fifty bushels of wheat per
acre. The general gives many instances
of the remarkably rapid growth of young
| forests planted in Nebraska. He has no
doubt that all the plains between the
| Missouri river and the Rocky mountains
can be covered with trees if the friends
of forestry persevere.
Speaking of the destruction of the for
ests, Gen Brisbin says that one firm alone
| in western state runs 200 saws. In
! Wisconsin lumber amounting in quantity
to ,030, 000, 900 feet was cut in a single
year. At the present rate, ten or, at the
most, twenty years will make an end of
the forests in Michigan, Minnesota and
Winconsin. It requires $4,000 acres of
Wisconsin timber to supply the Kansas
and Nebraska markets alone. New York
has lost her walnut, maple and hickory,
and has no forests left except in the
Adirondacks.
The island of Santa Cruz, in the West
Indies, which twenty-five or thirty years
ago was garden, is now almost a desert
in consequence of cutting away the forests
Owing to the same cause many of oul
American rivers have lost half their use
fulness. The Connecticut is hardly navi
gable and the Kennebec and Merrimat
have shrunl1 one-fourth. The Potoma
has lost nearly One-fourth of it's volume
and the Hudson has declined one sixth
The recent almost instantaneous and yer,
destructive July flood in the Monongahel
river is calculated to make the people 0
the Ohio valley thoughtful on the subjec
Of disappearing forests. The loss o
millions and the sweeping away of hun
dreds of comfortable homes and industria
improvements as the result of a singl
hard rain is heavy tax to pay for neglec
to prevent the waste of trees.
New York has taken hold of the forestr
question with considerable earnestness
Over 200 fire wardens have been appointe
throughout the state to prevent fOres
fires The New York forest cOmmissiO
has twenty-five foresters in it's employ
: located in the eleven northern cOuntie.
Trespassers have been compelled to T,
imburse the state on account of timbt
taken Timber thieving and the spoil;
tion of forests have been stopped. Th
York forest commission was appointed I
preserve the forests for the following ol
5ects:
First-For the value of the timber, bot
present and future.
Secend-For the value of forests
sanitariums-health resorts for invalid
summer breathing places for all.
Third-FOr the conservation of Il
sources of water supply. Both scien
= and observation agree that forests q
the great reservoirs that hoard the raj
fall to feed brooks and rivers. II
streams of Europe have shrunk as Il
forests have been cut away. Our ov
streams are following on in the san
track.
J Fourth-For the increase of rainfa
Cautious scientific men are not yet reaC
to assert that forests increase the raj
: fall, but the theory has many supporte
8 and the belief is fast growing that fores
8 arc such an important factor in supplyil
3 moisture that it is most dangerous pt
icy to strip the country of its trees.
Eiffh-EOr fha climatic on6 santa
influence of forests. There can be lit
doubt that forests are great equalizers
- temperature, render the surroundi
country less liable to violent winds, g
sOrb malarial and noxious vapors, and 6
In many ways benefcially to hum
: health.
A remarkable illustration of the fl
that the clearing of hilly countries
likely to result in the complete failing
springs is given by Mr.. Ney, who staf
that in Provence, France, after all
- olive forests, which had been froz,
u were cut down, great number Of spriI
ID. failed totally. In the city of Orleal
ort after the surrounding heights had bt
a. thus cleared, nearly all the wells DIR
IN up, and it became necessary to go to
headwaters Of the river Little Loire 70
water supply.
The state of New York is fortunate
still owning the most of the Adirond'
region, covered with the primitive
ests. 1t has also forest preserve
over AZ, 900 acres in the Catskil region
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
Making the Round Trip.
Tourist-My physician has advised
n to locate where may get the south wi