The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-04-22

stanccs Conflagratious extending hun
drcds Of square miles. Every year reeks
with such destruction. Thousands of
squatters, too, have been in the habit Of
clearing lands by fire, destroying thou
sands of acres to get the use Of hun
dreds for tillagc. The breath of fire has
done more than the ak TO defOrcst our
country. Again, in remote woodland re-
gions, where the difficulty of marketing
lumber is ErCat--as, for example, in
parts of West Virginia, North Carolina
and TCnnpsspo-thC ignorant mountain
ecr will destroy the trees and thousands
of acres for their bark, leaving the gir-
died giants tO dr0op, die and rot. Such
arc a very Caw Of the salient causes the
operation Of which is and has been rap
idly destroying uur forest acreage, and
the effects Of which, unless some coun-
terchcck il devised, will work incredi-
! BILE loss to American civilization and
progress.
But the awakening of public opinion,
slow as it has been, promises something.
1t begins to show itself in government
tai action. Against the sluggish indiffer-
ence Of such states as New Hampshire,
which, in spite Of the persistent efforts
Of the late Austin Corbin and other pub
lie spirited mon, refused to set apart a
forest reservation as an object lesson in
the art Of forestry and tree culture, we
have the examples of New York, with
her splendid Adirondack reservation,
protecting the sources Of the Hudson
and of Pennsylvania, which has done
something similar in the Allegheny re-
gion. While not more than half dozen
states have taken steps directly in this
way, the example is contagious and
promises to be speedily followed. More
important than any state legislation in
its effects has been the wise action OF
congress.
Under the law passed March 8, 1898,
Is forest reservations have been set off,
, which protect the we'll heads Of the prin'
, cipal rivers between the Mississippi
/ river and the Pacific ocean. Four Of
, these are in California, five in Colora
, do, one in Oregon, one in Washing
ton, one in Wyoming, one in New
, Mexico, one in Arizona and one il
t Alaska. They include total of TO-,
900, 600 acres out Of the $4,000, 00t
acres of government forest land, rang
: ing from 800 to 5000 square miles il
{ extent. 1t is believed, too, that this i
| only the beginning Of governmental eff
a fort. 1t were well, indeed, if its who'll
s 90, 900, 900 acres We're so consecrated t.
@ the river gods. These reserves ma.
4 easily be made object lessons in the ar
{ of forestry, showing how the woods
i nurtured and harvested with skill, cal
3 be made greatly to increase their boun
ty. The existing forest acreage i'll on
/ country is 900, 600, 900 acres. At tn
Y current rate of use and with the meth
O ods in vogue the annual growth doc
g not supply the demands the capita
:. stock is constantly impairing. Europea
@ forest methods would not only meet thi
d impairment, but increase the reserves
f 1t is then of immense Importance tina
e government supervision should attac
is schools of forestry to its great woodlan
: parks and nurseries. Then the know
r edge of the true methods Of treating tn
+, woods would flow down and gradual
q fertilize the ideas Of private owners
IS Just as the springs and rivers proteCte
e by those forests flow down and fertili2
,s the meadows. JOHN GORDON.