Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-12-29
FOREST TRY
Interesting Paper by Dr. John Park President
of the Utah Forestry Association.

Territory having for lis object the pJo-
motion Of all forestry interests In Utah.
was Initiated the 7lih OF last February
and named the utah forestry Associa-
ton" The present meeting represents
that organization aud Is lbs first public
demonstration.
WHAT rs a FoREsT2
In Great Britain the term forest, and
the corresponding word also in the
language Of France and Of Germany
did not originally, as It now does In all
these countries as well as in our own,
refer solely to extensive areas COW
cred with trees. Though trees may
have been prominent feature OF such
grounds, the feature was only an in.
cidenlal one. The essential idea con
veycd By the word was that Of a resort,
or extensive park where deer and other
wild animals were Kept to furnish
amusement Tor kings, princes and noble.
men, In hunting and Strengthening such
innocent prey. Now when the term Z,
used we think only Of extensive and
dense timber lands.
WHAT Is FoREsrRYl
In more recent times. derivaiive Of
this original word has come into gem
eral use. The necessity OF creating new
forests and Of giving greater care to the
preservation OF existing ones, as well as.
the Importance OF studying tree culIurg
in general, has given origin and prouh
ncnce TO the term forestry which
means the art and science OF cultIvating
forests, aud the righilul management OF
growing timber Tor all purposes
1HR DEVELOPMENT on roREsrs.
The origin Of our noble forests when
they began with. or soon followed the
disintegraiion Of the primitive rocks OF
early geologic times, aud their subse'
quent development and evolution
through successive stages OF germ
lichens, MOSES, and other cryptogramic
forms. on to herbs and the lower lig'
neuus plants, until they reached the
acme, the GROWING effort OF vegetable
pursuance IN the stately oaks, walnuis,
sequoias, and other monarchs OF our
forests primcyal," would, indeed, be a
most interesting study but too remotely
relevant, perhaps, TO our present. pur'
pose. We may be satisfied now TO know
that forests exist, and we are practically
more concerned about thCirprcsent safe
ty and continuous reproduction than
about their historic evolution.
FOREST ARIA.
In the early settlement Of this cont.
nent great part OF is area was covered
with continuous woods. In our country
they were found all along the Atlantic
seaboard and extended beyond the ALE
ghany Mountains westward into The IN
terror as far as the Mississippi River
They occupied much OF the higher Gle,
vations OF the Rocky Mountains and OF
the Pacific coast region, and trees, |
abundant, ilourshed on the bot
tom lands of nearly all our MYERS. These |
forests had grown for unknown centu- !
ries, undistufbed by the savage tribes
who wandered In their Businesses, ind
ing a shelter under their almost impene-
trable foliage and a livelihood from their
spontaneous growths and the wild ami
mails they nuftured, thus preparing the
while the elements for great eiyiliza'
ton.
FOREST DESTRUCTION.
That civilization came aud hewed is
way into the mighty wilderness. It's
progress, slow at first, rs Il iclled the
trees aud consigned the most valuable
timbers to the log.hrap and the flames
and cleared away the mat OF tangled
underbrush from the surface to expose
the rich humus OF the forest bed To the
sunlight andto theplough, advanced with
accelerated speed, as the population OF
the country increased, allured by the
favorable prospect Of an independent
home IN tree country. The severe
labor at first necessary to remove the
impending forests from the land they
wished to convert into fruitful farms, iu-
duccd In the settlers habits OF reckless
waste in the removal and use Of timber,
and It's surrounding abundance also In
duccd a feeling that the supply was cX.
haustless and rs presence an obstacle IN
the way OF their success, which further
increased the wastelul consumption.
Thus with an utter lack of prudence and
reasonable economy In the domestic and
other necessary uses Of timber; with the
wanton havoc that attends It's prepare
ton Tor commercial purposes which has
been going ON Tor years In the North
west, IN the Rockies, and on the Pacific
slope, with the shameless exploitation
Tor Other purposes; and with the prevail.
ence OF extensive and most disastrous
forest fires; our native woods arc fast
disappearing. This thoughtIcss and
wholesale spolauon OF our forests has
been, and still going on at such a rate,
far and nea,, that Il may soon be true OF
them what n now said OF the buffalo,
there rs but a'vsmnant LETT; and unless
their wanton deslrClUn be not Ia some
way checked the piSSpcct seems immi-
nent that IN the not NStant future, we
our current needs, The Possibility of
such an ulumation has awaketyd a ieel.
ing OF serious concern in theNountry.
and schemes are being agiatA and
some measures taken to prevent ilNsJs.
slble, such a calamity "
rrE VALUE OF FORESTS.
It's not necessary to say to an audi
ence IN tins western land at this tlmy
that forests are great blessing, u
might have been oilil ulL however a
one lime, Tor those VINO first settled do,
lar eastern states TO real 20 fully this lac
when the Indispensable condition OF
which "a farm could be wrvs.cd from IN,
wilderness, was the heJcuean task o
clearing these forests from the soil Bu
BLESSINGS brighten as they take lhgl
flight" ami now that our TIMBER land
are last disappearing through lavish us
and ,he want Of precautionary measure