Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-12-05


from any other country. The extensive
lumber trade is causing rapid denudation.
Tracts of land are let to "lumber COM
panies" whose object is to get as large a
return as possible, and annually thou
sands of acres are destroyed by fire. An
act has recently been passed regarding
the public lands of the Dominion, which
provides for the care of young trees; and
in Quebec it is no longer permitted to cut
pine trees less than one foot in diameter
at the stump. 1t has also been proposed
to establish school of forestry.
"United States.-The primitive forests
of America were of immense extent, and
contained remarkable diversity of
species; but now it is doubtful if any
American State, except perhaps Oregon,
has more woodland than it ought per-
manently to preserve. -. The east
ern and midland States were at one time
dense forests; now, Pennsylvania alone
excepted, these are denuded of the pines
and other commercial woods, and are
compelled to draw much of their supply
from Canada and the west. -. Cali
fornia still possesses her magnificent
Sequoias, which attain when full grown
an average height of 275 feet and a girth
of 10 feet at six feet from the ground.
Wood-cutters and saw-mills are how
ever busy at work converting the vaIua-
bic Sequoas into marketable lumber.
and sheep grazing and fires kindled bv
the lumbermen are effectually destroy
ing the saplings. Hooker writes in
lS1S-'The devastation of the Calfor-
man forest is proceeding at rate which
is utterly incredible except to an eye
witness. 1t is true that few of the
most insignificant groves of the big trees
at the northern extreme of its range are
protected by the State legislature, and
law has been enacted forbidding the fe-
ling of trees over 10 feet in diameter: but
there is no law to prevent the cutting or
burning of the saplings, on which the
perpetuation Of the grove depends, or to
prevent the burning of the old trees,
which, If they do escape the fire, will
succumb to the drought which the
sweeping away of the environng for
est will OCCASION"
From this sketch of the principal for
est lands of the world it appears that, al
though the progress of civilization and
the increase of the population have great
ly diminished the area of forests in many
. countries, they still cover large portion
of the earth's surface, and the necessity
of maintaining them is now generally
recognized. 1t is beyond doubt that
these vast wooded tracts affect most pow
erfully the economy of the globe. The
. direct influences may be summarized
7 from the results arrived at by Humboldt
and others: % By screening the soil
5 from the heat of the suns rays; CD by
+ the immense surface these leaves offer to
t the cooling process of radiation; and (3)
e by the cOplous evaporation of moisture
: from the leaves. Some of the indirect
: benefits which thus accrue from the
presence of forests may be mentioned,
: such as the maintenance of eQuable tenn
; perature and humidity, the affording of
d protection and shelter, the control of the
: regular flow of rivers, and the supply of
e perennial springs which fertilize and
! beautify the country. 1t is the climatic
= and physical inn ortance of a due pro-
e portion of wooded land, Independent of
/ the utility of forest products in innumer-
l. able arts which now contribute to our
comfort and progress, that has at length
t awakened most of the civilized govern
{ ments to the necessity of protecting for
e ests from ruthless spoliation. The fol-
U lowing general conclusions, adopted in
S 1851 by the British Association commit
a tee already referred to, contain principles
II stance to British India, have been found
: more or less applicable TO all countries:
o 81. That over large portions of the
d globe there is still an almost uncontrolled
S destruction of the indigenous forests in
progress from the wasteful habits of the
IS population.
h 2. That where conservancy has been
:, introduced, considerable improvement
= has already taken place.
e 3. That these Improvements may be
IS extended by rigid enforcement of the
h present regulations and the enactment of
h additional provisions of the following
n character, viz: Careful maintenance of
l. the forest by valuation surveys and work
d ing plans, and by the preservation of
It seedlings in place of mature trees re-
e moved-nurseres being established pro-
e hibition of cutting till trees are well
u grown, with rare and special exceptions
Y for peculiar purposes; and provision, in
d the case of trees yielding gums, resins
II or other valuable products, that greater
q care be taken in tapping or notching the
p trees, most serious damage in some coun-
= tiles resulting in neglect from this oper-
h La