The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-09-20
RISING IhE IREES.
Systematic Forest Farming as Carried on
In Switzerland.


In Switzerland.
| The objects of forestry. which are
very generally misunderstood. are very
ably set forth In new book Just is
sued by the Department of Forestry.
and edited by Clifford Pinchot The
object of forestry, as stated in this
Primer of Forestry, is to discover and
apply the principles according TO
which forests are best managed. II
is not too much to say that no Amer
lean book has yet appeared which
more forcibly tells of the devastation
that results from the ruthless destruc-
tion of the forests, the dire effects of
which are felt not only In the present
generation. but extend to future ones
as well. Dealing with all sections of
the country, from the familiar pine
and cedar forests of Jersey to the
giant growths of the Sierra Nevada
slopes. and with all phases of the sub
iect. from the growth of the seed. the.
grain and character of the wood to
the influence of forests ON climates
and fertility of adjacent lands. this
work of the Department of Agrlcul-
ture, by means of actual photographs.
forms complete history of the forest
conditions as they prevail to-day in
the United States.
Forestry endeavors to foster the
lumber industry, not TO hamper il. The
wood of tree that dies In the forest
is almost wholly wasted. For accord.
ing to the author. while the rotting
trunk may serve to retain moisture.
there Is little use for the carbon, oxy-
gen and hydrogen which make up it's
greater part. The mineral constituents
alone form Il useful fertilizer. but most
often there is already an abundance
of similar material in the soil. Not
only Is the old tree lost. but ever since
its maturity il has done little more
than intercept, to no good purpose.
the light, which would otherwise have
given vitality to Il valuable crop of
young trees. IL Is only when the ripe
wood is harvested properly and in
time that the forest attains its highest
usefulness. An example of what may
be accomplished by properly paying
attention to the preservation of the
young growth while cutting the ma
ture crop is shown in the instance
quoted by the author of forest in
Switzerland, where scientific methods
have been observed in the cutting of
the wood. The forest has yielded
yearly crop, without replanting, ever
since before the discovery of Amer.
lea, and yet today 1t shows fine
growth of marketable lumber.
Some very interesting facts in re-
gard to the origin of forests are
brought to light In this work. Many
agencies are employed by nature for
the planting of seeds in good ground"
among which are the winds. birds and
animals. 4 remarkable demonstra-
ton of the part birds may play in this
work is to be seen in natural avenue
of red cedars to be found in New Jer.
sey. These trees are all seedlings,
grown from seed which have been
dropped by birds which perched on
the fences. OF course, the trees have
been kept from growing in clumps,
yet the work of the birds is certainly
unique and unexpected
OF all the foes of the forest, next to
reckless numbering, fire IL the most
destructive, and. unfortunately, too
frequent. Some fires burn over whole
counties and others only few acres,
but In the aggregate the loss by fire
to the numbering and agricultural in
terests of the country is enormous.
Forestry is almost powerless to pre-
vent fires, except by the enforcement
of legislation making the careless fir
Ing of woodlands criminal offense.
1t does, however, offer many sugges-
tions for the reforestng of burned
over areas, and for the prevention of
fires. Many forest fires are attributed
to sparks from locomotives, and one of
the latest ideas for the avoidance of
these is fire line along railroad,
with two clear spaces, separated by
double row of trees intended to
| catch the sparks, Such strips, kept
free from intiammable material are
very useful In checking small fires
and of immense value as lines of de-
fense in fighting large ones.--Ph Philadel.
phla Record