Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-02-16
PRESERVE THE FORESTS.
auartling Statements Concerning the De-
crease I'm Our Timber.

nxtltng Statements Concerning the De-
c,eass I'm Our Timber.
One OF the most important questions
With which our national and state
legislatures have TO deal, and yet one
that is too generally neglected, is that
- the preservation Of our forests.
Independent of the fact that they add
% the wealth of the nation at the rate
II 500, 900, coo annually, or ten times
more than the output Of all our gold
and silver mines-which alone ought
20 secure for them proper care-the
significant conclusions reached by sci
cntifc men, to the effect that they de-
termine, to a great extent, the climatic
and the hygienic conditions Of our
country, and regulate the distribution
Of moisture and the character OF both
our great and small water ways, GER
tainIy place the preservation Of our
imbered lands among the subjects
that should receive the early, constant
and careful consideration of our legis-
lators.
II is estimated by experts who have
devoted much time and thought to the
inquiry that at least 20 per cent. Of
the entire agricultural region Of any
country should remain permanently
in forests. Twenty years ago it was
asserted that the annual clearance Of
woodland throughout the United States
amounted to 10, 900, 900 of acres, and
that at this rate individual owners
would ultimately be entirely stripped
OF their holdings. But ii is not only
the ak that is destructive TO forests.
Browsing animals and fires are quite
as detrimental. To these injurious
agencies must be added the enterpris.
ing and constituencies railroad con-
tractor. who annually destroys 80, 000,-
600 vigorous young trees in his quest
for ties. Taking these and other enc
mics Of u forests into account, it will
be seen that but for the energetic ac-
bon Of our national and state govern
ments the terrible calamity of the en-
tire sweeping away Of the natural cov-
ering Of the soil would be among the
possible events Of the fnture-a disas-
ter that would, in half a century, re-
duce the greater part Of the continent
10 the condition Of a desert incapable
of supporting man or beast.
Nor is this a mere fight Of the i'm
~agination. II may seem TO the super
fetal observer b. verge on the extrav-
agant TO talk of a possible timber fam
inc in a country so new as ours, and
one that was SO lately reclaimed from
Ne forest primeval;" but it is an un-
deniable fact that we are cutting down
u trees far more rapidly than we are
planting them, and although our in
heritance OF timber has been great,
such a policy s~teadfastly adhered 10 in
the future can lead to but one result.
To bring about a better state Of things,
an intelligent public sentiment ought
10 be created, and business men and
farmers should be informed how in
tmately their prosperity is bound up
with the preservation Of the wooded
land. They should be made 10 under
stand that by the effect of the forests
On the water courses the entire naviga-
ton, and much of the transportation,
system of the country is regulated.
Manufacturers are also largely de-
pendent for the water supply for their
factories and mills on the wisdom that
protects the timber lands where these
streams take their rise and through
which they flow. No profitable mill
ing could be done where the water
oourse was a torrent during one-fourth
Of the year and a dry bed for the re-
mainder of the season.
IL is encouraging TO note that the
subject is now receiving practical con-
1deration in many localities, and
especially in this state and in Pennsyl-
vania. The report of the New York
forestry commission, presented 10 the
legislature, contains many interesting
facts and valuable Suggestions; while
tho Agricultural society OF Pennsyl-
unia is actively engaged in spreading
the facts before the people. The estab-
hshment OF schools Of forestry" in
accordance with the plan that has
worked so admirably in Germany, is
earnestly recommended, together with
other measures all tending TO further
the end in view. On n point all au-
thorities seem agreed-that it is I'M
wise TO hand the timber resources of O
country over 10 private parties, leav-
ing them independent Of all govern
ment control. At one time this state
owned every acre OF the Adirondack
region, but this noble domain was
given away with a recklessness that is
AcarcQlv ri mud What IA noxU
possesses it has gained through tax
sales. while its titles are thus of the
most precarious character, the land
spectators being engaged in a con
slant struggle 10 procure a ~cancella-
ton Of the sale. The wholesale pur-
chase of forest lands from individual
owners is urged by the commission, TO
remedy this state Of things, and TO
prevent the stock Of timber in the
state from being too largely depleted.
Frank Leslie's Newspaper.