The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-23
WOULD FORM LUMBER TRUSTS
Yale Professor Says They Will Save the
Forests.


Yale Professor Says They VIII Save the
Forests.
Professor H. S. Graves, director of the
new forestry school at Yale, in lecture
last night in North Sheffield hall, enti-
tied Forest Problems in the United
States" declared that the formation of
trusts in the large numbering tracts Of
this country will help in large measure
to preserve our forests. He said:
| However we'll or i'll trusts may oper-
ate in other industries, the formation
of large numbering trusts is favorable
sign These trusts install immense
plants involving expense and permanent
investment of millions of dollars, and
they must provide for the effective
preservation of their timber lands or
lose their capital. Although they will
undoubtedly operate to crowd out the
smaller holders, there is no doubt but
that the situation thus brought about
requiring an extended, systematic and
intelligent treatment of forest lands,
will be of the greatest benefit. Every
inducement should therefore be offered
by the government to encourage large
and permanent investments in forest
property,
THE consistent practice of forestry
involves much outlay of capital and
temporary sacrifice of profits. 1t re-
quires the lumberman to spare his finer
timber for seed in the reproduction of
new trees, and in many cases under
present conditions this is impossible,
because the risk of fire among fine
standing timber is very large. In va
rious parts of New Jersey there are
thousands of acres of forest land that Is !
practically valueless by reason of the
fires that annually sweep through it.
Under a systematic control of the en-
tire area, and with the application Of
the preventive measures of modern for
estry, precautions could be taken to
protect these otherwise valueless tim
Der lands at a cost of about one cent |
per acre per annum; whereas under the
small ownerships they are Pc
riodlcally destroyed
Professor Graves said that every |
country must learn its lesson in forestry |
by experience. Examples given by Eu
rope have had no influence in this
and now since the lumbermen
see that they will soon have no occupa-
ton, and manufacturers see the streams
running dry, they are brought sudden
ly face to face with the problem Of how
to preserve the forests. He sketched
the history Of numbering up to the pres
emit time, showing that since 1910 the
great forests have been cut down as
rapidly and unintelligently as possible
FOR purposes of settling new country
and In developing a large export trade.
in logging machinery and
increased facilities for transportation
nave helped in this wholesale destruc-
ion.
Making all allowance for exaggera-
ion," continued Professor Graves, sit
S a fact that forests exert beneficial
influence on climate and on the regular
low of streams. Out west the problem
If preserving the streams is especially
PRESSING. 1t is true, however, that civ
lization will gradually and surely clear
most of the forests away, and the best
he government can do is to establish
preserves at important head waters in
very state and territory.
THE forest area of the United States
about 100000 square miles.
If this large fraction is in the hands
f private owners, mostly in small I
racts of from ten to five hundred acres. t
t is therefore of the utmost Importance f
nat the principles OF intensive forestry y
n these small wood lots be generally t
pread by the government among the
armers of the country. Many experts S
ave already been sent out to teach the b
armers to treat their Woodlands intel O
gently, and efficient corps of experts o