The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-04-06
Forest Cultivation.

An exceedingly interesting and at
tractive undertaking is proposed in the
bill which Mr.. Stewart of Ithaca in
troduced in the Senate on wednes-
day. 1t provides for a practical ex.
pertinent in forestry, on suitable
scale, under the direction of Cornell
University, and its primary purpose is
to show the people OF New York how
their forest domain ought to be treated.
The section OF the Constitution adopt
ed in 1894 which relates to the forests
is as follows: "The lands OF the State,
now owned or hereafter acquired, con-
stituting the. forest preserve as now
fixed by law, shall be forever kept as
wild forest lands. They shall not be
leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken
by any corporation, public or private,
nor shall the timber thereon be sold,
removed or destroyed" 1t is fair to
assume that Mr.. Stewards bill, of
which Governor Black is known to be
the sponsor, does not conflict with the
letter, as it certainly does not with the
spirit, of this section. The constitu-
tional prohibition, as every one who
followed the proceedings of the conven-
ton knows, does not signify that the
delegates who were most active in Sc
curing its adoption by unanimous vote
supposed that the total neglect of for
ests was true forestry. They clearly
recognized the fact that the prohibi-
ton was not scientific, and that it
ought not to be the permanent policy
of the State. But they had become
convinced that its enforcement for
period OF years was necessary to stop
the ruin which bad forest management
and lax public sentiment were permit
ting; their expectation being that
knowledge would increase and ulti-
mately lead to the establishment of
scientific system such as foreign ma
tions have made highly profitable.
Governor Blacks proposal is, there
fore, direct contribution to the object
which the convention had in view.
His bill provides that the State shall
acquire forest tract of %, 900 acres in
the Adirondack region, and give the
use OF it during a period of twenty-five
years to Cornell, on condition that the
University shall cultivate it in accord
ance with the principles which expert
ence has approved. His belief is that
the result will completely demonstrate
the possibilities of so managing the
forests as not only to preserve all the
benefits which their influence on eli
mate and waterfow produces, but also
to derive considerable revenue from
them while their beauty constantly in
creases. Nor is there anything fantas.
tic in this anticipation. Governor
Black has not evolved theory or
made any new discovery. 1t is to his
credit that study and observation have
led him to accept as applicable to us
the conclusions which have been es-
tablished elsewhere, and he wisely sug-
gests plan by which risk will be large
ly avoided and favorable conditions
created.
Ii it were proposed to put the expert
ment in charge of bureau or commits
sion the presumption might be that it
would fail. Under the control of Cor
nell University, which is willing to &C.
cept the trust and would probably or
ganize school of forestry through
which to administer it, the scheme
ought to succeed. There is scarcely
any other field of knowledge which has
been so neglected in the United States.
New York has indeed been making
progress in enlightenment, and in re-
cent years has turned it to practical &C.
count by increasing her forest holdings,
until now they amount to more than
100000 acres. 1t is not too soon to
consider how this great possession can
be made most useful to the State
through all the years to come, and such
an experiment in forest cultivation as
the Senate bill proposes is logical
first step toward the adoption of sci
entific system.-New York Tribune.