New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-31

Nature Of the Art BY John Clifford, Assistant
of forestry Cornell University. With many Illus
tratons. Octave, PIP xiv, 2Hi ~ Appleton q
The scientific and unitarian care of the wood
lands of the country is a subject of ever IN
creasing Importance and vitality. The part
played by timber growth in the protection of the
water supplies of large cities and in the preVen-
ton of floods is rapidly coming TO be widely
understood. With it comes a proportionate re-
greet that the lumber interests have so long been
allowed free hand in stripping vast areas OF
mountainous districts of their heavy CROWN
and a determination that these ravages shall De
checked and held under proper control hence
forth The government is yearly taking wl0er
interest in the subject. and adopting measures
that shall lead to a conservation of natural re-
sources so easy to destroy and so difficult to
restore The national park reservations now
cover an area of about fifty million acres, an
area much larger than New-England, three
times as large as Greece and nearly five times
as large as Switzerland.
Professor Chords volume is designed, not
only TO call a wider attention to this subject
but to convey practical information as to the
means best adapted to preserve the beauty ana
strength of our woodlands. The science OF
forestry has its origin in Germany, and most
of the modern methods in its use have been
brought to their present state OF ptllSNOAoi 80
that country. The conditions prevailing here
however are in many cases widely different
from those in existence on the Continent OF
Europe and thus demand a special treatment.
The author deals with a wide variety Of detail,
including the treatment of Woodlots on farms;
forest estates; the relation of sylvicuture to ag
ricuIture horticulture and landscape gardening;
the forest as a flood preventer and corserVator
of moisture as a windbreak a beautifer of the
earth and as a sanitary agent. Especial stress
is laid on a point that is Of particular interest
and Importance urban dwelers-namely, the
fact that water if to be sure of it in
good quality and steady quantity, must come
from an uninhabited. forested watershed Even
in the Dismal Swamp of Virginia the water is
healthful. because of the absence of population
and the presence of forests, while in the sur
rounding burned pineland it Is far from
being above reproach. Malarial diseases follow
in the wake of forest destruction. while travel
lers in tropical countries usually find malaria
most common in the open districts. We nave
Professor Giffords word for it that before the
planting of pine forests in the southwestern part
of France the country was very unhealthful.
while to-day it is a health resort. No small part
of the usefulness of trees in this respect is at
tributed to the fact that they arrest dust. in
which disease germs are known to travel in
large numbers.
The phase of forestry most to the point in this
country seems to be that which deals with the
protection of existing forests. Whole forests
have been wiped out by fire and the axe, but
there are enough left to preserve the water
supplies and the health of the country if they
are properly protected. Their chief dangers
are from fire, atmospheric agencies such
frost extreme heat and drouth, injurious in
sects, grazing and browsing animals. parasitic
plants and weeds OF all these enemies fire is
the most dangerous and II is sad to reflect that
this In turn is generally due to the carelessness
or righteousness of mankind. Professor Clifford
recommends the construction of fire lines,
pecially by railroad companies along the lines
of the road, to eliminate danger from flying
sparks. and he advocates the of spark
rosters engines. or the confusion of the
insect enemies OF the forests it is urged that the
enemies of these injurious creatures should be
encouraged Bats toads. snakes, lizards, birds
and fish all come under this head. If the forest
is infected seriously with insect pests the heroic
recommended. Professor clifford also urges the
setting aside of land Porto Rico, to
furnish place in the tropics where Northern
students may go to study tropical vegetation
as well as the preservation of large areas of
forest land in the Hawaiian Islands. His vol
contains list and description of all the
national forest reservations and a list of a large
number of American forest trees, with an ac-
count of their principal characteristics as well
as notes the various industries dependent
upon our forest erowths