St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-14
FORESTRY.
4 More Practical System Su2-
gested by j. o. Barrett.

SeSteu ny -. ~. hdlIcCs
TO the Editor of the Globe.
At repeated sessions of late, congress
has tried to repeal the timber culture
act: and this year, March, 1891, has ac
compliShed its purpose. Its anticipated
demise awakenS in the lover of trees a
feeling of sadness akin TO the death OF
a friend. 1t was defective in many of
its provisions, and so often misapplied
lis unpopularity killed it; but the honest
historian will record the fact that under
its enforcement many living forests
have been developed in the tree. eSS re-
giJnS of our country. The failures,
which doubtless are more than the sue
cesSeS, are not traceabic to frauds alone.
but largely to the ignorance or neglect
of the planter. Had the law specified
the depth of the blowing on timber
claim and further preparation of soil,
allowing four years of culture to Inter
vene before planting tree, and had the
government, Matchmaking forestry in
the first place as it had constitutional
right to do, before conveying title, and
supplied a department superintendent
Tor the treeleSS regions to instruct the
settlers in the art of planting and cult
ure, and to see that the intent of the law
was carried out, our now comparatively
desolate West would have been dotted
all over with forests on every section,
advancing our agricultural ana corela-
tive interests hundredfold.
Now that the act is dead, the serious
question arises. what is to be done? Is
anything substituted that is more prac-
teal? Is forestry to be left to the option
of the settler? If so, precious few trees
will be planted on the newly opened
lands within the next decade. There is,
however, involved in the power that
congress has delegated to the president,
a movement which, if vigilantly eX-
tended and applied, will event
ually supply the demand to
large degree. He has the right to set
apart and reserve in any territory forest
lands as public reservations, not sub-
ject to be entered upon. This will meet
the principal aim Of what IS known as
the Yellowstone park bill. If this pro
visiOnal reserve is extended. 1T would
seem to cover large percentage OF the
country's needs by growing great and
compact forests, more especially among
the feeders to our water systems. meas
urablv restoring the flow of our lakes
and rivers, and thus promoting more
humidity in our atmosphere, so essen
tial to agricultural productions. Great
forests, comprising millions of acres III
to the required results, are our neceS-
stiles. Scattered groups of them on
more limited scale where the settlers
! live are of equal Importance for the
| farm, the garden and the home:
these are our direct shelter belts,
| while the former are to the
! country at large what the
arteries are to the human badly. supply
! ing soil and air and all growing things
| with vitaliZing elements. 1t IS TO be
| hoped that our legislature will lot adj
| journ until it enters claim In the form
of memorial TO congress, asking for
forest reservation on national lands at
the sources of the Father of Waters"
in the northern part of the state. insti-
tuted and positively supervised as a
state park, Our forestry association
| has already canvasSed the feasibility of
| such an undertaking, and urges action
ere it is too late. Let not our beautiful
Minnesota be behind her sister states in
| forestry enterprise. Last year Ohio APP
propriated $4,000 for the equipment OF
a school of forestry at the uni,
versity at Athens. New England
states are moving to redeem her
abandoned lands by forestry.
Pennsylvania and some of the Southern
states are making efforts to re-forest
their waste lands. New York, alike
suffering the direful effects of forest
vandalism, proposes to purchase in the
northern part of the state :, 037, 900 acres
of land, 100000 of which are to be
forested, aggregating cost of s., 100000
Minnesota's further delay in forestry on
a vast ard practical scale is unpardon-
able. not to say criminal.
Were the suggested enterprise
achieved, however, it alone would not
supply the full demand Our water
feeders are not circumscribed to the
northern part of the state. they are
naturally all over it, but owing to the
defoIestation are fast departing
making our atmosphere drier and
drier as the years come and go
and our crops more and more
uncertain. The people at last demand
prudent attention to the primal need;
of agriculture in the form of forest pres
eryation and forest culture over all the
state, supplying moisture for our crops
protection to our stock and homes, Sc
curing contentment to the rural people
and attractiveness to the state of oul
adoption.
In Germany % per cent of its acreage
is forested to balance and supply hu
midity to that of the cultivated lands
and this ratio is strictly preserved