The evening times., 1899-12-25
THE AMERICAN FORESTS
Secretary Wilson Tells What Has
Been Done to Preserve Them.
An Attempt TO Prevent WastefulneSs
and Destruction BEING Made-The
VAST supply n Source of Prodix"i-
ity-HOw Irrigation Is Enected-Si-
tai Importance of New Growths.

As n result of the special attention. Sec
retary Wilson. OF the the Department oi
Agriculture. has been giving to the subject
of forestry in the Uunited States. q
lengthy statement has been prepared and
issued by him.
The paper shows the value of forests tt
nearly every form Of industry. and the
great injury suffered from careless de
struction. According to Secretary Wilson
forestry occupies conspicuous place
among the great questions which bear di-
rectiy both on the present prosperity OF
the nation and upon the future wealth and
happiness of its people. Practically all
manufactures. he says. are interviewer
with the timber question.
The effect Of forests upon climate and
water supply, he says. are among the vital
issues with which true forestry is con-
cerned but the need of the wood itself fol-
all manner of building purposes is the
greatest question of all. Secretary Wilson
says:
II have no desire to belittle the vast
utility Of mountain forests, or to slight
what may fairly be called the appalling
need of conservative forest management
throughout all the great forest areas oil
importance to the prosperity and happi-
the country. These are matters OF the first
importance to the prosperity and happi-
ness of us all. and it would be difficult to
give them undue weight in any considera-
tion of the great resources of the United
States.
Protection for Farmers.
"a farmer who has a wood-lot on his
farm is interested in it in three ways. II
he lives in treeless country the protec-
tion of his house, his stock, and his grow
ing crops against freezing and drying
winds is of the very first consequence. 1t
may be objected that this matter Of wind
breaks and shelterbelts is outside the do
main of forestry. but the objection is not
we'll taken Forestry deals with forest
trees in their relation to the material vel
fare of the human race. Whether the serv-
ice they yield to man is rendered in fuel,
timber, or protection, does not AFFECT the
definition. Nor is it material whether the
protection given is against floods, snow
Slides, billiards., are drying winds. All
these are within the province of forestry.
"The farmer in a treeiess region Is deeply
concerned. with the presence or absence Of
windbreaks and shelterbelts on his farm.
not only because of the essential necessity
of the protection they afford, but for an
other and most practical reason as well.
It has been ascertained by the estimates Of
competent men on the ground that the
average value Of a farm. in certain Of our
treeless States, is actually increased about
ten per cent by the presence Of good PLAN
tations.
THE farmer, where trees grow unp.ant-
ed, is likewise concerned in the protection
which his wood-lot gives. when he Is fortu-
nate enough to have 1t rightly placed, but
his dependence on shelter Is far less than
that of the man in the treeless West. Still
1t is often enough to make the difference
between comfort and discomfort, or some
times between prosperity and want.
I'm the second place the farmer Is I'M
terested in forestry as q producer Of wood.
The planted grove or windbreak OF the
prairie farmer not only supplies him with
part or all OF his fuel. with fence posts,