Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-04-26
THE FOREST PRESERVATION.
A Supreme Effort Will be Made to-
Preserve This in Tact,
SOME TIMELY SUGGESTIONS
An Important Issue and the Grave Danger
Which Threatens The County on Account
of the Demolition Of the Forest

of The Demolition Of the Forest
Trees.
In the Southern Appalachian Noun
tain system. IN and from West Viz
glnia to Alabama, the typical Amerl-
can forest growth finds Its highest de-
velopment. One hundred and thirty
seven species of trees have been ex-
amined and described by the Govern
ment experts who have visited and
surveyed the territory. Northern AMI
Southern varieties there rect and
commfngle making it an ideal region
for the lover and student of the
American silva. The soil aud climate
and abundant rainfall combine to
give the most favorable conditions to
tree development. The conlterous
evergreen trees are there in every va
riety. but with them in abundant
measure and great DEVELOPMENT grow
the oak beech ash, chestnut, wal
nut, cherry, tulip. mulberry. mag
nolia aud n list OF others that it
would be tedious to recite. Congress
has authorized forest reservation
elsewhere 1t is now proposed to set
apart and save to future generations
some 4, 900, 600 acres of this Southern
primeval forest growing in natural
ranks. with a setting of cascades and
nf VIZ
and the greater elevation of the Blue
Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains
looking down upon it.
In commenting unon this subject
the Philadelphia Press saws:
Congress cannot do posteritv
greater service than TO save for il;
portions of this magnificent heritage.
For under the natural law hum n sell
fishness. short sightedness and care
lessness these primeval forests are
doomed. The movable sawmlll is eat
ing into it IN every direction. leav-
ing behind 1T mass of inflammable
debris that sooner or later is the start
ing point of forest fire more de.
structive in week than . hundred
sawmills in au entire year. For some
reason the whole If this section seems
to have q strong affection for side-hill
farmers. They bave cleared nearly
one,ouarter of the acea under consid
eratlon and their steeply- Inclined
farms. after four Or five years of
leaching washing and erosion, are
worthless for farming purposes ana
have lost the capacity TO reproduce "a
fresh forest growth. Primeval tor-
estS are getting rare in this country.
The forests most familiar u us now
are second growth, too fhiekset for
beauty and often nearly impeuetrable
and with stand of trees on the aver
age much less valuable than he orig.
inal growth Before The country is
entirely cut over let us save at least
some SAMPLES of tine original forest
for future generations.
A bill to acquire this natural Ap
palachlan forest reserve was favorably
reported in the Senate OF the last
Congress, but got no further. This
year the same bill has been favorably
reported IN the House. 1t will doubt
less mass there, for the present House
has shown that 1T compreho nds the
value of unique natural possessions
that require legislation to prevent
their destruction. Last week the
House passed withouL opposition the
bill TO set apart as a natural park
the land occupied by the petrified
forest of Arizona. This is stoue
forest IN a desert. great curiosity
and of value to science since it illus
trates on n large scale an imp 1rtant
chapter in the geological history of
the globe This preadamite forest of
trees. five feet in diam er and forty
feet in height. was nce lowered
from the light of pfehist ORIG dav
down deep to the bottom of an old.
sea AMI there it lay until there bad
accumulaed upon it a deposit of for
ty feet OF soft sandstone, when the
processes of nature uplifted it to
Z 600 feet above the sea level Wind
and water have gradually freed the
forest from Its sandstone covering,
and there it lies TODAY fallen forest
OF great trees turned 70 chaicedony.
but looking at a distance like a
freshly driftel lot of water-worn
trees.
y Is we'll to preserve this natural
curiosity. and necessary. to, for ohal