Mohave County miner., 1888-09-29
ABOUT FORESTRY.
irs PROGRESS INA rREELEss STATE
or THE WEST.

BY the Lumber MenzThe Annual Rass-
fail--rorestry I'm tho state Of New York.
Objects.
In writing on forestry Gen. James 9.
Brisbin, U. s. A., not only presents the
general features Of his theme, but de-
scribes the peculiarities and uses Of each
American tree. While s,0o0, 900 trees are
cut In this country every year only ,000,-
900 are planted. To reproduce the for
ests that have been cat away would take
forty generations. OF course no one de-
sires 70 turn the country into q wilder
ness again, but there Is q danger line In
forest destruction that has already been
passed In many localities In America ~
In whole regions, now the scene Of desc
lation, in Europe.
When Gen. Brisbin turned forester tho
subject had made no public impression
Few journals could be induced 10 give
him o 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 xreeless state, Is covered
with young forests, and will soon be -
we'll fimbered as an eastern state. For
several years past from 1900, 900 TO
10000, 900 trees have been set annually
In that state. Its arbor day Is an annual
holiday. The governor Of Nebraska offers
large reward each year to the family
that viii set out the greatest number OF
forest trees. When was there" tho
general writes, 'it was $500 for the first
premium, $400 for the second. and so on
down TO $25. Even the women and chill
3ren 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 few years ago only the naked
plain was seen, now waves goodly for
est" Trees 10 end 10 years old are 30
feet high and TO 10 inches IN diameter.
Forest trees well cared for grow with
great rapidity In the west. Sage brush
land when irrigated win produce from
twenty five 10 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 IL the friends
of forestry persevere.
Speaking OF the destruction OF the for
ests, Gen. Brisbin says that one firm alope
In o western state runs 200 SAWS. In
Wisconsin lumber amounting in quantity
|! to I ,030, 600 900 feet was cut In q eingle
year. At the present rate, ten or, ct the
most, twenty years viii make an end oi
the forests In Michigan, Minnesota snd
Winconsin. II requires $1,000 acres ol
Wisconsin timber to supply the KansAl
and Nebraska markets alone. New YorA
has lost her walnut, maple and hickory
and has no forests left except in tha
Adirondacks.
The island of Santa Cruz, in the West
Indies, which twenty-five or thirty years
ago was q garden, rs now almost q deseri
In consequence CT cutting away the forests
Owing TO the same cause many Of oui
American rivers have lost half their use
fulness The Connecticut Is hardly pavi
gable, and the Kennebec and MerTimal
have shrunk one fourth. The Potoanal
has lost nearly one fourth Of Its volume
and the Hudson has declined one -stxth
The recent almost instantaneous and veeJ
destructive July food In the Monongshsll
river is calculated to make the people O,
the Ohio valley thoughtful ON the subjec,
Of disappearing forests. The loss ol
millions and the sweeping away Of hun
dreds of comfortable homes and industrial
improvements as the result of single
hard rain is heavy tax 20 pay Tor neglect
TO prevent the waste OF trees.
New York has taken hold Of the forestry
question with considerable earnestness
Over 200 fire wardens have been appointed
throughout the state to prevent fores,
fires. The New York forest commission
has twenty-five foresters Ia it's employ
located In the eleven northern counties
Trespassers have been compelled to re
imburse the state on account of timber
taken. Timber thieving and the spolia
ton Of forests have been stopped. The
York forest commission was appointed x
preserve the forests for the following OBJ
1ects:
First--For the value Of the timber, botl
! present and future.
Second--For the value of forests q
anitariums--health resorts for invalids
summer breathing places for all.
Third--For the conservation of the
sources of water supply. Both scienc'
and observation agree that forests ar,
the great reservoirs that hoard the rain
fall to feed brooks and rivers. Tn,
streams Of Europe have shrunk as th,
forests have been cut away. Our owl
streams are following on In the sam.
track.
Fourth--For the increase of rainfall
Cautious scientific men are not yet ready
to assert that forests increase the rain
fall, but the theory has many supporter,
and the belief Is fast growing that forests
are such an important factor In supplying
moisture that it Is most dangerous pol
Icy to strip the country of its trees.
Fifth--For tho climatic and SANITARY
influence of forests. There can be littb
doubt that forests are great cqualizers o
temperature, render the surrounding
country less liable to violent winds, ab
sorb malarial and noxious vapors, and ac
in many ways beneficially TO human
health. .. ...... .e.
A remarkable illustration Of the fac
that the clearing of hilly countries Il
likely to result In the complete failing o.
springs is given by Mr. Ncy, who states
that in Provence, France, after all tn,
olive forests, which had been frozen
were cut down, great number Of spring.
failed totally. In the city Of Orleans
after the surrounding heights had beei
thus cleared, nearly all the wells driet
| mp, and IL became necessary TO 90 to TIN
hesdwaters of the river Little Loire for
water supply.
The state Of New York Is fortunate Il
still owning the most Of the Adirondacl
region, covered with the primitive for
ests. II has also o forest preserve o
over 48.0c0 acres In the Catskill region
| Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
Making the Round Trip.
TouTist--My physician has advised m
IN local n where may oyet the south wind