The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-11-10
Save the Timber.

and Minnesota, says the Puget Sound
Lum herman, are so rapidly being de
pieted, IN order that man may build
that not a few arc seriously thinking
OF the time when the entire forest area
OF The United States will have been
lain waste by the commercial hand
What will take the place of white
pine? is often mooted question, and
as II there were no substitute precau-
tons are being taken, even at this late
day, to preserve what is left Forestry
associations have been formed in Cali.
fornia, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio
Kentuckey, South Carolina, Maine
and North Dakota, and Arbor day is
observed i'll nearly every state in the
Union.
| Ex-President Harrison last wear set
| apart several millions of acres in dif-
ierent portions OF the country as tim
Der reserves-the so-called last strong
holds of the forests. This shows that
the people are keenly alive to tie
alive to the value of forest preserva-
ton, and no doubt laws will shortly
be enacted prohibiting wasteful cut
ting of timber and making the mali
clous setting on fire of forests crime
of great magnitude. This is rs it
should be. The cutting down Of fer
ests by the lumbermen is necessity,
and being regarded as such the aim of
the people is to confne the destruc-
ton of the trees to the needs Of com
merce and no more. To offset the loss
incurred III converting trees into lum-
Der Is the purpose Of these different
forest associations. It has been stated
that the new growth of timber every
year nearly equals the output of lum-
Der, but this assertion can hardly be
substantiated, and finds no believers
among the champions of forest preser-
vatlon. 1t is true, however, that
second growths of timber are being
cut in Pennsylvania, Maine, New
York and Michigan, but it is also q
fact that the destruction has been lar
ger than nature could supply. Hence
the work of reforesting is Of very Sc
rlous moment and must be carried on
necessarily in order that future gem
erations may live. Already good re-
suits are shown from the efforts of pio-
neer associations, In Nebraska for
instance, since Arbor day was first in
augurated ,emillOns of trees have been
set out and further generations will
find on the once sandy desert magnifi-
cent forests of valuable woods The
process of re-foresting is also going on
in New York, Maine and Pennsylvan MIA
and the intelligent labor of to-day
will constitute valuable heritage as
the years roll by. Government con-
trol of forests in Germany and other
European countries are brilliant eX-
amples of an intelligent system Of for
est preservation. But little lumber is
imported into these countries, whereas
if nothing had been done at re-forest-
ing, Europe would to-day be treelesa
waste.
The subject of forest preservation
and tree culture las not been given
much attention on the Pacific coast.
The reason is plain. The timber belt
from Alaska to Northern California is
the last stronghold of the forest-the
heaviest belt of virgin timber in the
world. Such IN immense and contin-
uous forest is it that one gains the i'm
preston that it cannot be destroyed
until the millennium. Hance the peo-
pie are careless of tomorrow, reckless
to degree and cannot see the use ol
planting trees. And it is not to be
wondered at. Here it is the usual
thing to cut down and burn hundreds
of trees in order to clear place foI
the cultivation OF the soil, instead OF
as at other places to plant trees: for
est fires are encouraged for the same
reason, and altogether there is reck'
less disregard for the future. In Eas
tern Washington and Oregon and
Southern California, where the forest
growth is scant, some attention is paid
| to tree culture. but it is not systematic
nor extensive.
What should be done is to do away
with the reckless waste of timber and
secure the general observance of Ar
Dor dav. The needs of commerce vii
DESTROY the forest area fast enough
without waste being made by foolish
individuals, A second growth should
be encouraged where the logger and
lumberman has taken timber, in order
that the supply may be continuous
and desert places should be covered
with trees.
The benches and plains of eastern
Washington and Oregon should first
Of ALI receive the attention OF every
lover of the forest. The climate is
suited to such valuable hardwoods as
walnut, cherry, oak and maple, and
every farmer set aside a portion OF hls
holdings to trees. History has demon
strated the value of tree planting by
farmers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
Virginia and other states, where
Groves Of walnut and oak planted
many wears ago are now bringing fab
ulous prices for lumber. History vii
repeat itself on the Pacific coast
proper attention is given to tree plant
ing. The county commissioners O
each county east ef the Cascades vii
earn the gratitude OF future genera
tions by planting row OF these hard
wood trees along each county road ane
also help the good work OF tree culture
When the culture is made general or
plains and forest preservation is ob
! served along the ocean what grea
and prosperous section Will be th
Pacific coast. The question OF lumbe
( kl.,d NJ