The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-03-31
hE FORESTS OF TEXAS.
Deir Present Condition and Their
Future Management.
LECTURE BY DR.. WILLIAM L. BRAY
Era OF Destructive LAUNDERING in
Texas Forests-Conservative For
estry Is Predicted.

Austin, Texas, March 27.--The following
~ a synopsis Of an illustrated lecture de
1lfered by Dr. William L. Bray before the
TeSas Academy of Science at its regular
i1eeting held in the Chemical theater OF
I'd University OF Texas March %. 1901:
#7kith the opening of the new century, the
aaovement for the preservation and restora-
fjSn of our forests shows such yigor and
119mentum as TO promise a new era in the
kDtory Of forest exploitation. Forest man
8sfment, or the practice OF scientific for
'8stry is being discussed In all quarters and
tractically introduced into many.
Ii the general government, our division
81 forestry in the department of agricul-
ffre has been made bureau OF forestry
atlth organization and plans OF work vastly
11,pre extensive than hitherto aud an ap-
Ijrtpriation six times larger than 1t was
fo,l years ago. All this has been rendered
Necessary by increasing demands upon
che bureau. AS Il response TO the oner
lnskie two OF three years ago 10 give alSlee
and personal direction in introducing forest
man Il cement upon LANDS u private hoiuels
III corporations, Applications hANe petn &c
ceh ed ana accepted ihNVlNlue IVY INV "
6uli million acres OK land. III addition 10
tHis the United States forest reserves and
Inc New YORK state forest reserve lanus
nave been submitted 10 the DIVISION OF
Is1restry Tor working plans Tor sc4ehtIhS
mail a cement, thus bringing the total area
slp 10 over nIty mllllou acres upon "ulCn d
nenlnte constructive forest pohey Is TO oe
4rari led out. 90
% Apain. not only is the forestry work OF
the National government in an actlNe cUn'
ultiop, but many States are likewise us us
plls Fly hopeful activity. In fourteen
sIates some definite steps nave peen luAeh
toward organizing forestry adullhls ia
ton OF some kind, but, excepting NeWM
aofk, this has SO lar reacheu OH! 'uc Ia
est protection stage. ,t a..
fsld Il place also IN the university cutrlCula.
ax7at University OF WISCONSIN. in the lhl-
is4rt urcs on forestry VIII be given curing
The winter term. Beside these thele ule
scnools OF forestry coming into prolnlhenace'
Cofnel University SeAool OIL iotestt9' pa
5tIrnore school oI Forestry ana the 1ule
Scnuol OF Forestry are the prominent, spI
GAL schools. Students in forestry may TOOK
iortyard to applying their energies IN VIZ
riu fields The demand for trained loftst'
ars viii be greater than the supply Tor
uunbcr OF years.
Pho object OF fofrat management is to
remoye the timber from gwen tract III
sueh a way that repeated crops can De
0btained Tor All INDEFINITE peflod, without
decleasing the producing capacity oil lhe
t0rest. In order TO do TINS, IL Is necessary
I'D know just what trees are TO De leIl
Stahding TO form u basis for future grown
aud to seed the ground IN Naluanie
tpecies IL Is necessary 70 klo" tne t1tV
of growth OF trees let AFTER tue Arst CUT,
Hing in order to estimate the Length or
tinie capital must be kept Invested before
sfirlding a second income. Some method
l0f numbering must be agreed upon Whicn
viii DE the least destructive ana wdsteiul.
Losses due to fire, storms, theft aud other
.cAuses must pc taken mug dcCouh', ahu
means employed lor reducing sHen ioeseG'
N asnort' lne SAINT qunll'9 VI ealuiu a.,
ecohomy anu common scnse llid MAJ c.lie . -
TO pc applied TO the Forest land lhat every
successful farmer applies TO ms cotton iand
~ secure large successive crops ana sun
keep hlsuly productive farm
9m Win regard 70 our forests the case n
tfxhs Is Dlleny TINS: WIN y vast area
q. per own eapaple OF SUPPORTING tarse
ma wealthy population, Dut inclpaole from
lack OF ralhia!l oil supporting forests, teAas
nus an adultohal area equal propapiE 10
enc OF me whoie vaIue TO any, rms ~
fAuo OF pine forests TO agricultural iand Is,
under our climatic conditions, a desirable
one to maintain because II supplies all the
neeas for timber and enough In excess to
palance her other great resources, Much
more is this ratio of forest land desirable
uech use OF the vast timberless regions on
me. west, southwest and northwest which
VIII always demand their lumber supplies
There is by no means profitable forest
stand ON all of the $4,000 square miles of
poa IDLE pine lands In this State, partially,
also because II has been cut off and is not
restored by subsequent growth 10 n pay
Ing condition. opinion seems to agree
that all the merchantable pine now stand
Ing would not exceed 3OOu0. 600 900 or 40,
E000NO0, 600 feet of lumber This Is being hal-
fxe4ted III the rate OF l,OJO000,OO feet a
rear or course some timber is growing
40 take its place. but no one can Imagine
that this increases at any SUCH rate as
k1.epn, 600 900 feet yearly, or even the fourth
e0f That amount. The capital will, there
Tore be inevitably exhausted even before
the new century Is half or even perhaps
one third out.
LIS Fhcts given In detail show conclusiveIv
HAT these forests are not able TO mold out
19ne against the present methods and
x{Qtthermore It can he shown that the pres.
e1t methods OF numbering are about all
that keeps them from being restored "a
.<alhable forests. There are several rea.
HONS why they can not reforest themselves
II First-- Because In very many cases the
3{hpQ is stripped of every stick that can
p6eSiblv find n market In Rrller DAYS
1T flmherlng only the big timber was cut
IN Begging Then in spite of the damage
{ektrees left standing there were enough
left to make a fair stand which. In the
eoursc of twenty years have matured into
j. good second crop In other eases the
stand left after the first cut is in rapid
kfcrth toward becoming good saw mill