The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-07
Gel EBRATE ARBOR DAY.
q Most States The Day for Planting Trees
Falls 10 April
The YEARLY CROP OF TIMBER.
IL Is Fsucen Tin,es rs Valuable I'm ire
United states AS the Combined Colo
mud silver Product, Thrice inc
value of the Entire Mineral 0n'p"t
md Greater than the Cereal Crops.

nud Greater than the Cere"i SFoPs'
Copyright. 1896, by S. S. Mcclure Lin
ited)
There is an idea more or less preVaien.
among those who fiatter themselves that
they are practical men. that the preser-
walton of forests. the planting Of trees
and specially the celebration OF Arpor
day are mere matters OF sentiment
matters unworthy the consideration OIL
the practical men aforesaid. IL Is I'M
doubtedly true that forest preservation
and tree culture are worthy the finest
sentiment. and that they have provoked
the commentator Of the best poets we
have had; but II Is also true that there
Is q purely practical and economic side
to the question with which the stats
tician, the mathematician ana the piac-
teal man of affairs have more to DO
than the sentimental poet who deals iii
figures Of speech to impress an aesthe-
tic truth.
The relations of the precious metals
gold and silver-to one another, are con-
sidered so important and of such great /
interest that all other questions of poll
ticaI policy are now secondary to this
one 1t may astonish those who are
vexing their minds over this matter TO
know that the timber product OF the
United States is really of more impor-
lance than that of the precious metals.
Let us look at the figures: The pro- !
duct of gold and silver in the United
States for the year 1894 was as follows:
Gold -. :. -. -. ........SS 80 SOC, 900
Silver. ......... .....S $685.. 3l,422,OoV
Tota1...... ...... $50. S7O.922'ooO
TIMBER OUTPUT TWICE THAT OF
MINERALS.
In the same year the products of the
forests of the United States, as shown
by the Department OF Agriculture, were
estimated at s1,05S $50, $50. In other
words, the forests of the United States
are fifteen times more important than
the silver and gold mines. Even If TO
the value OF the the gold and silver mines
be added the value of all the other mine
raj products of the same year including
trou, copper, lead, zinc, coal. lime, natu-
raj gas, petroleum. salt. building stone.
the total representing the entire mineral
output of the United States will amount
only to 1858 1852, 800. or about one-half the
value OF the forest products. Now let
us lcok at some more statistics. The
Department of Agriculture gives the
value of our cereal crops for the year
1894 as follows:
Z Wheat OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. s2o5 900 oo5
Corn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 55i ,7l9,l62
1als '.'...'................ 2l4,sl6,s20
rye ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 133S5a76
y - - 80 -i,io5l-t
'u u,f, '................ 70i02SS
Iehis total. 1t will be seen, is less by
100000. than the value of the forest
crop for the same year. These fig
ures nave been given and these compari-
4 sons made for the benefit of the ..practi-
Z cal men, who scorn the sentimental sig
nificance of every question 10 such an
extent that they are likely to ignore
the economic Importance of any matcer
70 Waich sentiment attaches.
THE RECKLESS DESTRUCTION OF
TIMBER PROPERTY.
Now let us briefly look at another
lspeet or the question, an aspect as
purely practical as that just mentioned
ana OF great public moment The lcaf
mold of the forest Is the natural stora
mouse or large part OF the snow and
ram ran. From this spongy soil. SAT-
ulated with water, the supply OF water
comes In dry weather TO enable farm
ZIG W DE prosecuted Without such a
hStural storehouse, and we part with If
When we permit the forests TO be de-
stroyeu' we nave periods of torrents and
PERIODS or drouth, and the earth's value
10 man Is most seriously curtailed.
Al present the consumption of our for.
ests lot lumber and for fuel is so great
that IL behooveS us TO adopt tho Co.
man method of never DESTROYING q 80
without planting a new one. II is csti-
mated that abe annual cunsump.ion of
WOOD, from the forests of the United
states for fuel and lumber now amounts
10 25.OOO.OO0,000 cubic feet.
ITO furnish this amount" eavs A.,
Egleston, of the Department of Agri.
culture, would require the product mo,
She destruction. but the produco of Inc
growth of 1920, 600 acres of wood
land. whereas our total forest area is Iess
than 6OO.00O.000 acres, which is no mor4
than we need as a permanent stock Of
woodland for the country. 1t will he
seen then that more than half of our
annual consumption Is a draft by SC
much Upon our forest capital. when we
should be- only drawing from our for
ests the amount of their annual growth
or the interest OF that capital. How Ions
would 1t take a millionaire, to become :
bankrupt If he should be annual,
trenching upom his money capital at 8
like rate?"
This statement and observation Mr.
Egleston makes in pamphlet on Gar
Dor Day-Its History and Observance,
soon to be issued by the Department OF
Agriculture. I'm 1t we are told that Ar
Dor Day was first suggested by MIR
George p. Marsh. long time Minister OF
the United States to Turkey and Italy