Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-04-13


Not till its iron shall turn to dust
Not till its age shall say ait is just
Not till the tenpests OF many score
OF years shall howl round ana battle it sore
May we lose IN od handle on the door.
FOREST PRESERVATION AND Gull
TIVATlON,
SOUTHERN ESTATE.
BOsTON, March 81. 1894.
EdHor Of the Register Mr.. Wander
bilt is carrying out at his large estate in
Asheville, North Carolina. plan of
forest preservation and cultivation which
is of especial significance in that it is the
first. and, as yet, the only attempt max
ing in this country to intelligently hus-
band forest. The value of his efforts
are greatly enhanced in that his forester,
Mr.. Pinchot, does not rely upon the
ready purse of his patron. but Oh close.
thoughtful. practical work for making
this department of the great estate self
supporting; his aim being to work it so
as to pay its owner and at the same time
improve the forest. Mr.. Pinchot studied
extensively after graduation from Yale
in the forestry schools and the forests
themselves of Europe, acQuainting him
self " 18th the elaborate theory of forest
care taught in Germany, and following
those teachings through their practical
"a N Forest
petent to instruct in this subject the for
eigners are may be inferred from the fact
that the Germans alone have issued some
1000 works on forestry, while France,
Italy and Austria have vast literature
extending through centuries. These
theories and this practice, when tran
splanted to our side of the water. en-
countered such entirely different econo-
mic conditions affecting labor. the value
of the product, methods of transporta-
ton, ETC., that readjustment of theory
and practice was imperative. Mr.. Pin
chot has made measurable progress in
successfully conforming his methods OF
forest administration to the commercial
conditions of this new field, and out OF
a SCARED, abused, aXe-cursed, second
growth stubble, fire-swept and cattle
stunted, akin to much of the worthless
acreage of Nermont's higher hillsides, he
is hopeful of creating an income-produc-
ing forest area and assuring to the future
a rpened crop of increasing and indef-
mite value,
My excuse for epitomizing the results
of the work done al BiltmOre forest in
this paper is that no State and no com
munity might more. nationally interest
itself in any moves tending to enharce
the productive capacity of forest land
than Vermont and Vermonters. Biltmore
forest embodies about 1000 acres. Ii has
been dealt with In the past as all Ameri-
can forests have been dealt with, if their
timber was commercially available. 1t
was stripped of everything which could
make fuel, fence or saw-log; the young
trees browsed over by cattle; the sol
burned out by accident or in the hopt
that in this way pasturage might be bet
tered. These antecedent disaster,
brought this tract into Mr.. Puchot''
hands in deplorable condition: and Will
the forest grouped naturally under these
two general heads: First, where tree,
were standing together, of every age
from Seeding to more or less mature
tree: second; where older trees anC
all about the same age predominated
, The former class was the natural reSul
of removing the best trees and so making
place fer younger ones of all ages. Tn,
second class was the result of fire fol
lowing that method of cutting whicl
leaves much light and inhammable ma
terial on the ground. In its course tho
fire killed the young, but was resisted by
? the older trees.
Under the science of Forest Cultiva
ton these two classes called for treat
ment respectively by the two systems
! known as the Selection Forest system
and the High Forest system. Thu
selection forest plan is applied WHERE
trees of all ages are indiscrimnatelN
, mixed, and by it once in a liked humble
of years the choice trees are CAREFUL,
felled and removed. The High Fores
system is applicable where trees of thu
, same age are grouped, so that theoreti
cally there are as many separate group
, as there are years in the age of the oldes
/, trees. 1t was determined that neither o
, these methods should be applied at Bit
more forest except where the produc
would pay for the cutting
a careful preliminary study and de:
c,iptlon of the forest was made as 70
lows: The tract was divided int
squares of 800 feet. These sections Q