, 1903-01-30
FORESTS
CHIEF OF BUREAU OF FORESTRY
PINCHOT TELLS OF ThEIR
CHARACTER AND EXTENT.
Opportunities for Government For
estry-SpIendid Field for Young
Foresters - numbering Is Great
Problem on the lslands-Some-
thing About Russia's Forests.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 30.-(Special
to The Republican Clifford Pin
chot, chief of the bureau of forestry,
has returned from the Philippines.
where he was sent last August by Sec
rotary Wilson, at the request of the
est policy of the islands.
A personal examination of the Phil
ippine forests and a study of market
conditions nave convinced Mr.. Pin
chot of the value of the timber and OF
the very great opportunities on the
islands for government forestry. Both
for forestry and for foresters," he says,
the Philippines offer the finest field |
know of. The forestry bureau of the
islands, under Captain George P.
Ahern, has charge of the development
of valuable forests composed of trees
the names of which are mostly unfa-
miliar to Americans and of whose hab-
it's We know comparatively nothing.
An unlimited field for profitable study
$ offered the young foresters now en-
tering the Philippine service. The OBJ
lection that the islands are dangerous
ly unhealthy is a mistaken one. | be-
lieve that a nan who takes care of
himself may work with entire safety in
the Philippines
On a gunboat placed at his disposal
by Governor Taft, Mr.. Pinchot. in COM
pany with Captain Ahern, made a trip
of 5000 miles among the islands. The
sailing was done at night, when pos
sible; landings were made in the day
and the forests of all the larger islands
and of many OF the smaller ones were
examined.
Probably more han half the area
of the islands is in forest says Mr..
Pinchot. The best timber | saw was
in M%indanao, on the road built by the
army from the coast to Linao, where
the fighting with the Moros has been
going on. There the best trees are $50
to IT'S feet high. with clear lengths
Of ninety to 100 feet and diameters of
three to six feet. The forest is dense
and interviewer with creepers, and
progress through it is often impossible
without cutting a way. The stands con
tain large areas without forest, as
along the railroad from Manila to
Dagupan. Nearly the whole island Of
Cebu and parts of Panay are without
forests. On the other hand, Mindanao
and Paragua are nearly all in forest. &.
THE pine of the Benguet province
is about the only tree which an Amer
lean in the Philippines will recognize.
Although nearly 700 species have been
described and classified. doubtless
many Philippine trees still remain un
known. Very many of the timbers are
fine cabinet woods; nearly all are
heavy, and many sink in water. At
present their use is limited entirely by
their ability to withstand the attacks
of the teredo and the white ant.
LAUNDERING is a problem on the
ioldiluS. Inc uedlu Ol nearly all tne
caribou has in some places reduced
the industry to the employment of
hand labor entirely, which is scarce
and unsatisfactory. What numbering is
now going on is of the most primitive |
sort. l have seen heavy logs hauled
with tackles by hand. A considerable
part of the timber used on the islands
is imported from the United States"
MI. Pinchot %journeyed to the Phil
ippines by way of Russia, where he
found an efficient and highly devel-
oped system Of government forestry.
He visited the forest schools of St.
Petersburg and Moscow, met the forest
officials and made trips with them into
the woods. He also observed the
planting on the steppes.
Of the Russian forests Mr.. Pinchot
says: "They are vey good, as a whole,
though not to be compared with those
of our OWL Pacific coast. Across Rus
STA and Siberia, from Moscow to the
borders of Manchuria, one is never out
of sight of Trees
Mr.. Pinchot will make a complete
report on his observations in the Phil
ippines.