The St. Mary banner., 1902-03-08
FORESTRY IN THE SOUTH.

! FORESTRY IN THE SOUTH.
NOW THE RICHEST TIMBER RE.
GION IN THE COUNTRY.
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan
Once Valuable Lumber States, Are
Practically Denuded-Forces Which
Have Co-operated In Destruction.
The most valuable forests of the
United States are now in the South.
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michi-
gan. the principal sources of lumber
supply in the past, are practically de-
nuded. Reckless numbering, charcoal
burning, and the manufacture of paper
pulp have cooperated as forces of de-
struction, and the result is that great
numbering industry, which should have
lasted for another century, has scarce
ly outlived the century which witness
ed its beginning. The discreet con-
servation of the forests deemed mex
haustible when numbering began, and
measures for reboising the waste lands
not needed for agricultural purposes
after the lumbermen, the charcoal
burners. and the wood-pulp makers
| were through with them, would have
created new values to the extent of
hundreds of millions of dollars to re-
place those destroyed. That this was
not done is not to be wondered at
perhaps. Civilization swept westward
like a prairie fire. To clear land was
Z first consideration, and labor was
neither cheap enough nor abundant
enough to permit that it be employed
In provision for the future. New COM
munities are always reckless in sluan-
dering natural resources. They seem
so linlitless and so much in the way
that it is not to be wondered at that
the effort is rather to waste than to
conserve them.
Until the timber supply of the West
began to fail that of the South was
neglected. ITS vast forest areas had
scarcely known the woodman's axe
indeed, they had hardly been explored.
Their edges had been erOded, and there
was some numbering along the coast
for shipment to Northern markets.
They were, and still are. the great Ma
tional reserve of available timber, and
extensive as are the numbering opera
tions now in progress in the South, the
supply will not fail unless all the les
sons of Western experience are forgot
ten or disregarded.
The movement already begun among
tracts to organize their numbering op-
erations under the guidance and di-
rection Of the Bureau of Forestry of
the Department of Agriculture, is one
which should receive the fullest ap-
probation and encouragement. Indeed,
the State Governments should do what !
they can to stimulate progress in that !
direction by offering substantial ad
vantages to those who thus conserve T
the wealth of the South. Land man
aged under system of forestry which |
preserves the young growth. and es-
pecially that devoted to tree growing
10 restore IT'S forest character, might
very we'll be exempted from taxation
'or term of years. The taxable value
IF wood lands in the South is not great
enough to make the revenues from
hem a matter Of concern to State or
ocal authorities, and those certified
Is under direction of the Forestry Blu
eau might very we'll be thus exempt
ID. Trees grow slowly, and even
small tax will often amount to more
han the annual increment of value in
uch property. Meanwhile, it is graft
ying to learn from a recently publish
I'd report of the bureau that the South
8 beginning to show an intelligent in
crest in this subject. The owners of
,534, ,O0G acres of pine and hardwood
ands have applied to the bureau for
working plans for conservative forest
and it's representatives
re kept busy giving advice and as
istance where it is being followed.
here are also some large tracts OF
tate and Government land which the
ureau has been asked to look after
nd manage This is as it should be.
he experience of half century
hould be enough to convince our peo- =.
lie that the adjective 'inexhaustible"
8 applied to natural resources OF any
ind is misleading and meaningless. :
New York Times.