The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-09-17
A FOURTH CONSIDERATION.

In his remarks at the Fish and
Game League banquet, Judge Brewer
spoke of three things, pertaining to
the matters the League had in charge
that ought to interest the people, and
ought to become the special objects of
the fostering care of the League. The
reckless waste of fish and game, re-
sulting sometimes in the extermina-
ton of species, should be arrested !;
destruction of fish by chemicals dis
charged into streams by factories
built on their banks should be stopped,
and the work of cultivating the
streams, ponds and lakes to increase
their production of food fish ought to
be undertaken systematically. and per-
sistently continued. For supplying
food an acre of water ought to be as
productive as an acre of land.
There is a fourth consideration, of
primary and vital Importance, which
Judge Brewer might have named, and
to the enforcement of which upon the
attention of the assembled leaguers he
might have addressed himself with all
the force, eloquence and impressi We
ness he devoted to the other subjects
on which he spoke. How shall
springs and streams and their recep-
tacle ponds and lakes be maintained
without forests? How shall game in
any of it's varieties be propagated
without the protecting shelter of
trees? Fish were taken from the
waters and game hunted in the woods
by the tirst-coming populations with
out danger of exhaustion. 1t was
land of limitless plenty when the
forest primeval sheltered the tribes
that swim, or fly or roam in the for
est's shadows. There came time
when ruthless destruction caused
scarcity and threatend, if it did not
in some instances actually accomplish,
determination. Then resort was had
to restrictive measures and provision
for replenishing the water and the
land.
So has it been with the forests.
The fnest-and the most abund-
ant-races of trees that ever reared
their heads heavenward and shook
their green leaves in the sun, once
covered these hills and clothed these
plains and valleys. Where are they
today? The rocky ridges, barren hill
tops, brake and brier infested swales,
wastes of sand and swamp, exhausted
pastures, dry water courses and
shrunken streams, tell of forest de-
struction that has been wanton, merci-
less, unrelenting, brutally inimlcal to
coming generations and avowedly re-
gardless of their interests in their her
itage. I have had to look out for
my self; let them who come after me
do the same;" 1.-The future gener-
ations' never did anything for me;
why should l bother myself about
them ?"-this is the common reply
made to any suggestion of present
responsibility to those who will come
resources. 1t is the answer often
made to protests against wholesale de-
struction Of the forests by lum bermen
and pulpmen,
Now, unless the people Of this State
can be interested in protecting the
standing forests, and in reforesting
the hundreds of thousands of acres of
denuded lands fit only for growing
tire es, Or unless evolution can produce
fish that will live on dry land, or
deer and other game that will thrive
and multiply in the wind-swept and in
hospitable open areas the woodman's
axe, supplemented by raging fires,
has produced-and is year by year
enlarging-what place in the economy
of things can Vermont Fish and
Game League occupy?
To this end, the preservation of the
woods, the planting of trees on de-
nuded and otherwise useless areas,
the League is bound to address Its
most earnest efforts. The organiza-
ton is able to impress itself ON the
Legislature when it puts forth its in
fuence. This object is one of pri-
mary Importance to the interests over
which the League stands guard. Plans
for forest protection have often been
proposed to the General Assembly.
That body has never been interested
in this matter of gravest concern to
the highest welfare of the State, of
general character as we'll as in it's
bearing on fish and game preservation
and culture. Broaden the sphere of
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