Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-20
PRESERVING THE FORESTS
Addresses by DR.. Fernow and Commissioner
Bowers at Philadelphia.
Practical Suggestions for Protecting
the Woodlands md Providing
Timber for the Future.


at the National Forestry Associations meet
ing. in Philadelphia, by DIR. b. E. Fernow.
chief of the forestry division of the Agri-
cultural Department, and chairman of the
executive committee of the national asso-
citation, and Mr. Edward b. Bowers. assist
ant commissioner OF The general land Office.
In his address Wednesday evening Dr. Fer
now spoke on the Battle of the Forests"
illustrating his subject with lantern slides.
1T was questioned" he said. whether a tree
need ever die, since it is developed by the
successive addition of new parts. renewing
annually not only foliage, but its wood and
roots-everything concerning its life and
work. 1t thus has the conditions of exist
cree in it's thousandth year that it had in
its tenth.
1.-The army of the forest is made up of
various tribes, each fitted to wage war with
different sets of conditions, bent on con-
quering the soil, the clements and the lower
vegetation Hardly has the first gained the
mastery when the trees themselves begin to
quarrel for light, and the battle becomes
one of individuals. In this struggle a nat
ural thinning out takes place. some trees
tagging behind and oeing shaded out until
in CID age only as many remain as can oc-
cupy the ground. At the fall of the first
laggards those remaining strive for domi-
nance. Into the breach made by the fall of
forest giant the young seedlings soon
rush, beginning again the struggle for eX-
istence
MINIS Hostility to the Forest.
MAN has for ages taken sides against
the forest, not only contesting for occu-
pancy of the soil and utilizing the vast
stores of wood, but in wasteful destruction.
When the firebrand is added to carelessness
friend and foe are killed alike, and the soil
Is turned over to enemies without profit to
man"
DR.. Fernow told 1t to be the duty of man
to make intelligent use of forests, and in
this connection was shown upon the screen
the striking difference between the work of
the lumberman and of the forester.
THE forest cover he said in conclusion,
deserves the fri endship. the jealous parti-
sanship in its defense of every intelligent
citizen"
Mr. Bowers Address.
Thursday evening Mr.. Bowers lectured on
"The Duty of the Federal Government in
Forest Protection and Existing Conditions
of Government Forests"
1.-THE first thing to consider" he said us
the fact that there is a great national prop
erty in these forests; that as such, every
citizen of the United States is an owner of
forest lands. That these lands now held by
the United States sustaining a forest
growth at the present time are in the main
unfit for any other purpose than growing
timber and it is the duty of this generation
to see that such lands are permanently set
aside for the double purpose of supplying
timber for future generations and for main
tanning water conditions throughout that
vast region from the one-hundredth merid-
ian to the Sierra Nevada mountains, which
Is entirely dependent on irrigation for It's
future development"
Forest Reservations.
After commenting upon the acts passed
from time to time regarding the timber of
the United States In the wasteful methods
that have prevailed, and the insufficient
and meager efforts made by Congress dur
ing the past twenty years, he said: Until
there is a radical change in legislation
together with sufficient appropriation for
the administration of such legislation as
shall be enacted, we cannot hope for any
great Improvement. Such change in the
law will come eventually. The law of 1891,
which authorized the creation of the forest
reservations, indicates the dawn of a better
day. Under this act seventeen reservations
embracing over 100000 acres of land
have been permanently set aside for the
purpose of continually supplying timber
and for the protection of the main sources
of the water supply of arid regions. AL
though the law authorizes the creation Of
these reservations. no specific power has
heen granted by Congress- and not a dol
lar has been aside for their protection
or development Several bills with this in
view have been introduced, but, owing to
the hostility of certain interests, all have
been lost.
Business Methods.
1T Is your duty as part owners of this
property to insist that your representatives
shall take an active interest in furthering
proper legislation to this end. The only
protective agencies for government timber
at this time are the thirty special agents
Of the general land office, whose duty 1t is
to investigate and report timber trespasses
for the district attorneys to prosecute. The
magnitude of their work may be understood
when it is known that in the last nine years
lrespasses have amounted to over $1,000, 600
but OF which, owing to inadequate appro-
priatlons, only ten per cent has been col
lected.
'Our hope is to have all our useless laws
wiped out and simple business method
substituted to have the lands surveyed and
the property upon them classified; when the
timber is ready for cutting to mark such
as are to be sold and offer it in the public
market to the highest bidder; to have 1t
cut under proper restrictions. the money
paid for 1t before 1t is cut; this money to
be paid into the United States treasury and
to be a fund for the preservation and MAIN
tenance of these reservations"
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