The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-27
SAYS PEOPLE MUST
MAKE STUDY OF SOIL
Secretary of Agriculture James
Wilson Emphasizes I'M
portance of Forestry.

An interested and appreciative audi
ence greeted Secretary James Wilson,
of the United States department of
agriculture, who addressed the Nation
al Forestry association at Plymouth
Congregational church last evening.
His unconventional, easy manner and
the dry humor with which he frequent
ly embellished his remarks created
much amusement among his hearers.
After being introduced by G. M. Lor-
ing, of Minneapolis, Secretary Wilson
said:
THE history of the United States
since the time of the thirteen colonies
has been closely associated with the
cutting down of the vast forests of
our country. The history of the coun-
try is the story of the progress through
the forest, of the American pioneer,
followed by American civilization. 1t
will not be many years until the mon
archs of the forests, which have stood
for two or three hundred years, will
have been reduced to dressed lumber
ut was not until comparatively
few years ago that the people of the
country realized that in time the sup
ply of timber will be consumed and
that something must be done to renew
the denuded timber lands. Consequent
ly it is only recently that the subject
of demonstration has been brought up
for consideration.
Until a few years ago education had
neglected to teach forestry and sc1en-
tific research necessary for the repro
duction of trees and many other agri-
cultural products. Realizing this.
congress has increased the agricultural
appropriation each year during the last
decade until now 100000 year is al
lowed for forestry alone. There are
today about 500 young men studying
the subject and learning what can be
done by the farmer to help the refor
estization of the country.
1--WE have reached the point where
we may well be alarmed at the fores-
try conditions. Few know where to be-
gin or what to do. In twenty years
the scarcity will be felt strongly, and
in forty years at the most, unless i'm
mediate and extensive action is taken,
the entire country will be pinched. Our
timber supply will be exhausted and
we shall suffer a wood famine far
worse than the coal famine which
England is now confronting.
What we must do is to study the
soil. A few years ago I became inter-
ested in the growth of tobacco. At that
time all our fine cigars were coming
from Cuba and other West Indian
points. / sent men to these various
places and had them collect samples
of the soil in which the finer grades
of tobacco were raised. This was
brought to Washington and analysed.
Having found the properties of the
soil l sent men out over the United
States to find the same kind, and, as
result, we are now growing the finest
cigar tobacco in the world right here
in our own country. My men found
the exact soil wanted in Texas, Ohio
and Connecticut and in these states
we raise better tobacco than is grown
in any of the Southern islands.
And SO it is with forestry. The
ground that has produced the big trees
and the hard wood trees must be ana
lyzed and seed must be planted imme-
diately. If the necessary elements are
lacking in the soil, it must be manipu-
lated until it will grow timber.
Every agricultural college in the
country should have forestry depart
ment. Yale is the only institution that
has a regular course, Cornell having
abolished hers. recently attended the
graduation exercises of Western
agricultural school that received an
annual endowment from congress Of
$4,000 year, and out of $50 graduates