The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
FORESTRY BOARDS WORK
APPEAL SENT OUT BY SECRETARY
FREEMAN GIVEN IN FULL.
An Address That Is Full of Interest
for the People of Indiana-In
Front of Progress.


sued for the purpose of enlisting the inter-
est and cooperation of the public and Of
individual citizens and associations in the
work of the new board, contains much val
liable information concerning the science
of forestry. 1t reads in part follows:
In particular forestry deals with the
growing and management of trees in
masses. called forests. in three-fold con-
siderstion of preservation. reproduction and
economic utility in the interest of mans
progress. Orcharding and landscape gar
dening are only incidentally related. From
this three-fold consideration, the idea Of
forestry in Indiana may not be the idea at
all in another State. In the dense forests
of the North forestry may deal wholly
with the economic utility phase while in
the prairie States it may be absolutely
reproductive idea and in other States it
may be the preservative phase. as it is in
England. Germany and France AS the law
is applied to Indiana, it is made to
tend to all the phases with the added sense
Of a bureau OF statistics and information
The objects of forestry are strongly
three-fold: First, to furnish by the wood
and other products of the forest materials
indispensable TO the best human progress
not TO grow trees merely. but TO produce
when growing mt material of given quail
ties for the given uses demanded by reason
Of the wide range of application in the
uses of wood in the industries second. to
furnish certain conditions of soil covering
and effect certain climatic requirements
The twofold elements may be accomplished
through private or internal efforts under a
close systematic organization in forest Gull
ture. The close systematic organization in
this work is more needed than in any other
pursuit because of the lapse of time be-
tween sowing and reapng from the forest
and the various stages of utilization of its
products
THE LAW OF BURGUNDY.
THE citizens of Indiana must not over
look the fact that already in this State
the law of Burgundy-one-third TO the hunt
er and two-thirds to the husbandman-
has been so violated that the hunter has
been forced to migrate or go to the wall.
Three-fourths of a century of dexterous
activity by lumbermen and pioneers has
denuded the once dense forests which COW
cred four-fifths of the State at the time
when the Indians hold was broken at Tip
pecanoe by General Harrison. The pro-
Guctive capacity of Indiana is unlimited
because of her soil and reasonable rain
fall, but the slackened condition of the lat
ter in recent years and the sweeping winds
should admonish us to defend ourselves
while yet there is opportunity and posi-
bility. The snow. earth's natural covering
and protection in winter, by reason of CHI
matte conditions due to forest scarcity,
either does not appear. or when it does is
blown into heaps against Judgments and
the earth left bare and exposed.
Better forestration will become a neces-
sity very soon in order that we may be
more certain of success in grain cultiva-
ton in this State. and only a casual OBJ
servation of protected and unprotected
places will reveal this. The growing of
trees merely for financial profit can scarce
~ be expected to be suitable as life bus
mess for man to engage in, aside from
nursery production, because of the slow
ness of growth, the great amount of capital
needed and patience demanded. But the
achievements of such nations as England,
Germany and France. and also of Russia,
by both internal and private methods, is
convincing evidence that good returns re-
suit TO both parties.
Timber, in common with all other COM
modities, rises in value as it becomes
commercial statistics of the lumber
trade, both domestic and foreign.
AS a particular example, take box
wood a tree now found in appreciable
quantity only in the Caucasus regions, and
a log of it costs at a British port % cents
per pound. But we have only to look at the
price and demand for our own forest trees
to see the truth of this axiom. Trees of
few years growth from seedlings, planted
closely, form a good windbrake and pro-
duce good climatic results, while for fire
wood they must grow from thirty to forty
years. An oak to be Of commercial value
must have a growth of eighty years at
least. and pine tree much longer time.
FAILED TO COUNT COST.
''Our European neighbors failed to count
the cost in this until it was too late for
the present generations. and while they
now maintain strict codes of forest laws,
they can never recompense the past neg
lect in their once dense forests and can
only hope to supply the demand in their
Industries partially from other and more
fortunate countries. Centuries ago Austria
in her glory had immense quantities of ship
timber, which she supplied to Venice during
the maritime career of that city. The
dense forests of the Austrian empire were
the equal of those in Russia now, and yet
the Venetian spoilers reduced them to
aridity, and because of certain actions of
the sun and rain directly upon the earth
the forest humus In the soil has been de-
stroyed and demonstration is beyond their
reach.
England, Germany and France now look
to Norway and Sweden for their supplies
of timber while they are attempting to
replace their own, but Norway and Sweden
must soon come under the ban of the law
of supply and demand exhaust their
sources of forest and those depending on
them must go elsewhere. Spain owes much
the greater part of her aridity and unpro-
gressive condition TO the reckless devasta-
tan of her forests in times of power and
plenty Russia alone has had the wise
forethought and keen sense OF nation in
respect. to forests Profiting by that acute
sense instilled into them by Peter the
Great, the Russians saw years ago the
necessity of forest economy, and strict
codes of forest laws were enacted. AS d
result Russia revels in unbroken forest
from the tundras of the north 10 the wheat
fields of the south. and from st. Petersburg
on the west 10 the Ural mountains on the
east Her acreage of forest touches the
half-hundred million mark in appanages
and private ownership, and the forestry