The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-19
Protect the Forests.

There is a steadily growing interest in
the movement which has been inaugurated
in a majority of the states to protect the
forests. 1t is only recently that a system
attic effort has been made in this country TO
guard the forests against unnecessary de-
struction, and it is probable that there
would have been no effort of this kind
whatever had it not been thought necessary
for the purpose Of checking the great floods
which devastate the valleys along the
water courses.
The eighth annual convention of the
American Forestry Congress met In Horti-
cultural hall, Philadelphia, on Tuesday.
Sixteen states were represented, and
great deal of interest is taken in its pro-
ceedings.
On Wednesday quite number Of papers
were read bearing upon the subject Of the
preservation Of forests, all of which were
of considerable value. Judge Warren
Higley, Of New York, read paper on
THE Progress and Conditions Of Forestry"
in that state. He pointed out, among other
things, that there are in the United States
400, DOC, 900 acres covered with wood growth,
or 20 per cent. of the total land area. AS much
as ., 00O, 900 acres are cut over annually
and in 1880 more than 10000, 900 acres were
burned over. Its probable that the number
of acres destroyed by fire is now as great, if
not greater than it was nine years ago. The
destruction Of forests therefore is going on
at the rate of $4,000, 900 acres a year.
great many acres of course again become
covered with forests, and the number of
acres cut and burnt over annually does not
therefore represent the actual reduction of
the forest area annually. The annual
reduction, however, is much greater than it
should be.
Mr.. Bernard L. Fernow, chief of the
Forestry division of the department of
agriculture at Washington, read paper on
Methods Of Forestry Reform IN which
he called attention to the pressing need for
forest commissioner in each state, whose
duty should be to collect information upon
which legislation for the protection of for.
es S might be based. He said that the gov
eminent owned 100000 acres of wooded
land, and he thought that it should set an
example to the states by having a definite
policy for the preservation of its forests.
1t has no such policy, however, and it is
said that it even fails to cooperate with the
forest commissioners of the states in their
endeavor to protect the interests committed
to their care.
Mr.. S. g. McLendon, of Thomasville,
Ga, made some very interesting remarks
about the pine forests. He said that the
pine section was steadily growing smaller
from the ravages of the ak, and he asserted
that the total destruction of the pine trees
would be ian iEcalculable disaster to the
human race" He expressed the opinion
that they were of more value to humanity
than any other, furnishing as they do tim
Der 'for houses, ships and cars, turpentine
for medicine and paints. and rosin, creosote,
tar and other valuable products" He be-
lieve!, he said, that the pine tree kept more
people alive than the plantain.
There is a gradual awakening all over
the country III the question of the pres
ervation Of the forests and extending the
area Of them. Tree planting is going on in
many of the states, and arbor day is OBJ
served more generally each succeeding year.