The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-16
MAN AGAINST FORESTS.
Prof. Fernow's Lecture to the
American Forestry Asso-
citation at Camden.
Special to the Jersey Ctu Neus.

CAMDEN, May 16, 1895.-Delegates OF
the American Forestry Association who
intend making a tour through the State
of New Jersey as guests or the New Jer-
sey Forestry Association. were vel
coined in Camden yesterday by Mayor
Westcott and committees from City
Council and the Board of Trade.
A meeting was held in the Court House
last night. at which Franklin Dye. Trea-
surer Of the New Jersey Association, pre-
sided. An instructive stereopticon lee
ture. entitled 1.-THE Battle of the For
est was given by Prof. b. L. Fernow,
Chief of Forestry Division. Department
OF Agriculture. Washington, D. e. The
lecturer stated that in order to compre-
hend the problem of the growth of the
forest. people must first understand the
forces of nature. New Jersey at one
time was covered by an extensive forest
growth. ne said. but if something was
not done to protect what little is left.
there would be nothing but barren lands.
forest should be protected. not alone
for the beauty, but for the protection of
the SOIL
MAN AGAINST THE FORESTS.
The lecturer declared that as the trees
grew in former ages. so they would now,
If the climate and soil were favorable.
He declared that man has taken sides
against the forest. He not only cut
down the trees and used the wood for
several purposes, but destroyed the soil
SO that it would take ages to reproduce
a forest. if so desired.
He then went back to the prehistoric
period and spoke on the formation of
the forests from a geographical and boz
tanical standpoint. BE Illustrated the
growth of forests on rocky bases, show
ing by views the barren rocks which abb
sorbed the moisture. Then the grasses
grew, afterwards the ferns, then the
small shoots. and finally the small sap
lings and large trees. He declared that
the evolution Of the forest was from the
ferns. palms. magnolia. linden and ash
trees.
AS with humanity so it is with Trees
said he. "An nature requires pure air
and plenty of light. The snoot from a
hearty tree. if allowed to grow in it's
1t will grow until it becomes a giant,
and live for hundreds of years. If de-
prived of sunlight and the temperature
may grow slender. but tall. or be
"A TREE NEED NEVER DIE.
tree need never die. Dragon trees were
found in Africa that were several lhous-
and years old. In these forests it was
noticed that size triumphed. He con-
demned the indiscriminate manner in
which the lumber men destroyed our
trees. and declared that the time would
come when people in this country would
resort to some method. as other Il
tries are now doing, to replant the bar
rem wastes with trees. The destruction
of the forests by fire and man, he said,
was responsible to a certain extent for
the floods in some of the States.
Forest fires. he said, not only destroyed
the trees. but caused a sterility of the
soil. which it would take at least 200
years to recover.
SAND PREVENTS THE GROWTH OF
TREES.
He then illustrated scenes along the
Atlantic coast in New Jersey where
nothing but sedge grass grows. He de
clared that the sand blown by the winds
prevented the growth of trees. He des-
cribed at length the growth of different
varieties of shrubs, plants and trees in
various parts of the world, n the con-
ditions under which they grew and prop
agated.
He declared that the object of the as
Sosiation YVES TO enforce existing laws
for the prevention of forest fires the en-
actment of laws needed both for the pro-
lection of timber lands and human lives,
and to ascertain the extent. character
and location of the wild lands in the
States and report which of them are best
suited for permanent occupation by for
ests, rather than by agriculture, and
which of them could be best taken as
forests reserves. and to point out the adj
vantage which would accrue to the
States by such reserves, from the points
of timber supply, water supply, scenery