Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-07-24
FORESTRY AND RELATED SUB
IEGTS

sion of crops of timber products. 1t is a
department of agriculture Forestry I
has not yet been introduced or establish
cd in this country. 1t is most conven-
iently practieed where large areas of
wooded lands are owned by the govern
ment. The division of forest lands into
small separate holdings, owned and con-
trolled by individual private citizens,
would render systematic forestry diff
cult or impossible anywhere; and in our
country, in addition to this extremely un-
favorable condition in the ownership of
the land we have the vital and abdominal
ing effect of democracy, or the equal dis
tribution of political power throughout
the entire body and mass of the people.
If, during the earlier periods of our
history the people of the nation, or of
any of the separate States, had desired to
retain in public possession any large
regions of mountain forest land, this
might have been done, and on these pub
lie lands sytem of government forestry
might have been established and develop
ed. But the policy of the people of this
country in regard to the public lands has
always been that of facilitating, in every
possible way, the passage of the lands of
the nation from public to private owner
ship. The land composing the public
domain has been sold at prices so small
as to be merely nominal, and many
millions of acres of it have been given
outright to individual citizens and cor
porate associations of citizens.
Within the boundaries of some of the
Western States of this country there are
large areas of mountain forest land which
are still the property of the nation, and
these wooded regions, or portions of
them, might be retained in public posses
sion, and system of practical forest
management might be established and
developed there, including a national
school for the adequate training of for
esters.
The State of New York has titles. more
or less clear, to nearly a million acres of
land within her limits. Much of it is in
small tracts, which are separated from
each other by private holdings. If the
State had retained possession of all her
mountain forest lands, the practical So
luton of some of the problems which
now confront her people would be much
easier. But in this instance also, as in
that of the whole nation in disposing of
the public de main, the policy of the peo-
pie of the State of New York has until
very recently always smoothed the way
for the remuneration of State ownership
in favor of individual possession.
The State of New Hampshire formerly
owned much of the White Mountain re-
gion, but these now invaluable forest
lands were sold to individual citizens at
prices which show that the owners-the
people of the State-were entirely ignor-
ant of the real character and value of
their property. Last year a commission
was appointed by the governor, in ac-
, cordance with an act of the legislature,
; to examine and inquire regarding the
feasibility of the purchase by the State
of mountain forest lands about the sour
ces of the streams which supply water
J.. for manufacturing purposes and near
summer resorts. and where it may be
. necessary as means of preserving the
, scenery and the timber supply. The
commissioners will make an investigation
!. and report its findings to the legislature
at its next session. The forest scenery
of New Hampshire is one of the most
valuable pecuniary possessions of her
; people. 1t attracts multitudes of sum-
3 mer visitors and important annual rev.
r enues. But it is being extensively iniur-
ed and distigured by unintelligent meth
= DDS of numbering, and small portions of
it have already been thoroughly ruined
: by the burning out and washing away of
the soil, leaving the rock of the hillsides
= and lodges bare and glittering.
4 The population of the mountain regions
n of the State is sparse and scattered, and
it would be difficult to bring about any
. conference or consultation among the
b inhabitants, or to institute any action in
e common for improved methods of forest
> fective is done, some plan devised for es'
t tablishng a system of orderly care of the
+ scenery, it is almost certain that the re-
markably beautiful and interesting
4 mountain landscapes which have charm
j. ed and delighted millions of visitors from
all parts of the world will in time be
l. made desolate, uninviting and repulsive
s While welhave no real or systematic
: practical forestry in this country, VT
!. have had during the last few years con-
a siderable talk and writing about the gen
+ eral subject of forestry and upon variou;
t topics which are in some measure related
+ to it, or which are supposed to be thus
. related. The real or proper object Of
) such discussion is, primarily, the awaken
/, ing and development of popular intelli-
gence and interest regarding the value
! and function of wooded lands, especially