Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-01-22
Sunday, January az, 1888.
FOREST POLICY OF JAPAN.
A Bavarian Invited to Direct It-Prep
aratiou for a Timber supply.

aratiou for a Timber supply.
Not long ago, without any flourish of
announcement or departure, a quiet,
scholarly gentleman in the vigor Of early
manhood passed through this city on an
important mission TO Japan, where he is
70 give i~rs.-uction in the science and
practice of forestry as known in the best
schools of Europe, and to direct to a GER
tain extent the forest policy Of the en-
pire. DIR. Heinrich Mayr is a forest ofli-
Ger of the Bavarian government and lee
turer on ~sylviculture in the University of
Munich. Two years ago he crossed the
United States through the Lake region
and the northwest to Oregon, and now
he proposes To study the southern forests,
going through the Allegheny region and
crossing Texas 10 California. This is in
preparation for a report 10 his govern
ment on American forests. From San
Francisco he viii sail 10 japan, where he
will be prof ssor of sylviculturc and
forest botany in the University OF Toxic,
besides taking charge of the actual forest
work of the empire during an extended
leave of absence from lis post in Bavaria.
In reply 20 some inquiries by a reporter
DR.. Mayr said that although there was
abundant timber in japan and a wcnder-
full richness in arborescent species when
comparei with the sylvia OF Europe, still
serious ilroals had been made upon the
forest v salth of the empire. During the
civil var many forests owned by the
daimios were destroyed, and the govern
ment intended TO restore them. Besides
this many of tine mountain slopes. al
though thiclly wooded. were clothed
with species not esteemed valuable.
There are vast stretches of beechwools,
the trees bring apparently identical
~botanically with the European beech, al
though the wood is lighter in color.
Beech is considered a useful wood in
Europe, but there are many better kinds
in Japan, and the government proposes
TO substitute some Of these for the in
ferior species.
Notable among the valuable timber
trees is the cryptomesia, a confer, spcci-
mems of which are not rare ia tie orna-
mental plantations Of this country. A
few Of them are growing in the Ramble
OF Central Park. This tree is closely
alliel 10 the American ~seqIoias. the red
wool and the LiStrccs. When a traveller
fresh from the Sigrras first sees a forest
of cryptomesia lac will have no other
thought than that they are identical with
the American trees. They have. too, all
the good qualities of redwood-light,
straight grained, easily worked. durable.
Besides these a species Of planera. some
of the osss and perhaps some other de-
ciduous trees will be used to supplant the
beech. 1t will lie a delicate undertaking
to make such a sweeping transformation
in the forest growth over large areas
without causing violent disturbance in
the natural forces which have been adj
justing Themselves into balance during
centuries. But the japanese government
appreciates this and is preparing for the
work most thoroughly and cautiously.
When asked if japan had yet suffered
any Of those physical disasters which
have followed the decreasing Of high
lands in other countries, DIR. Mayr said:
''Oh, yes. This preparation for afVm-
Der supply Is only one reason for the
present interest in forestry in Japan.
The growth Of railroads opening up new
markets for forest products and means Of
Transporting them is an immediate occa-
sion for this sharp looking after their
resources by n long sighted business reo-
pie. But the country is already suffer-
L.. f-1. a..-gaf Vrla.. a.. ,r.a.l lus
been stripped from the high slopes. The
calamity il not 50 serious as it is in other
parts of the world, in southeastern
France, FOR instance, where millions lit
orally are expended every year in an al
most hopeless struggle with devastating
floods.
"Dut what has happened and is plainly
threatened has decided the government
TO take prompt action and recover the
bare heights. Near Kio.a, for example,
within less than fifty years the forest has
been cleared from a portion Of the high
mountains about the city and the result
is too evident. The river flowing down
from this deiorested slope, and crossing a
plan say fifteen miles to the sea, soon
began to roll down more lonsencd stones
and gravel and earth after the rainy sea-
son had swollen it. As the river bed
was lifted by this deposit, the people, to
restrain it from overlooking the plains Oh
either side, began TO build up barriers on
its banks. Then as more woods were
felled the torrent became more sudden
and violent, owing TO decreased obstruc-
ton. The waterway was gradually filled
in with w~ashings from the mountain,
compelling another and another embank-
ment ON either side as the bottom was
until now the stream runs
between artificial banks on the top OF a
long. straight causeway fifty feet high"
New York Tribune.