The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-04-25
THE PASSING or THR
CYPRESS.

me great Cypress trees with lofty
tops that have been Whispering to- eh
other for ages are doomed liable
Wanzps that in the past haEe contri-
buted Httle to the material wealth d
Aouiaanas and but a few years ago
sregaHded as idle and useless, and
searcely worth the taxes due On them,
sresRoW being eagerly sought after by
the lumbermen, with the supply fan
sing short fthe demand
It took ages to produce the mann
moth 5Gpress trees that cover thous-
ands Of acres Of our swamp lands; but
at the recent rate Of increase in the
number and capacity Of the saw-mils,
It win require only a decade or 50 to
convert the grand and time-worn
monarohs Of the woods into building
material
Thessaddasb Feature connected with
the inevitable destruction ofthe cypress
swamps, 4. that the destruction, in
spite Of all that has been said to the
contrary, viii be complete, permanent
and final. The great-taees will leave
no ofsprings, that, in the natural or
der Of things can develop as they have
done. The conditions SO necessary
for the growth and development of
great forests Of cypress trees, win never.
exist again.
The annual overflow Of the Missis-
eippi and the rich deposit of t~ree-iood
that these overaows conveyed to roots
Of the cypress can be regarded as a
factor no longer in the production Of
these trees. The young cypress is
doomed to perish Of hunger before it
reaches maturity; but should it escape
starvation itmust die from thirst, for
the different gtanla of DRAINAGE
reach a more perfect stage Of compile
ton the swamps will dry up, rand the
water 50 essential to the production oil
cypress swamps will be lacking.
While witnessing the gradual re-
Of prairie, swamp Hands
end boys in other sections of this
country and in older countries, can
any ofus question Che prediction that,
Within the next one hundred years.
corn tassels viii be waving over Che
great section now being guarded by
The stately old sentiaels of the seal
bordering wilderness
Although we may deplore the fact,
re are utterly powerless to prevent it.
Our forests occupy one corner Of the
s~tore-house that nature has given 20
man to draw from. AS master Of the
earthly situation, man seems tospossess
sha authority to utilize the things that
add to his material benefit in the evo-
luton through which he is p~assingin
his search for a better and higher state
Of existence.
Cypress forests are nice things for
the eye to regard they are pictu-
poetic and majestic; they no
doubt have served and are still serving
2 good purpose in dissipating the force
q an occasional cyclone Or a West
Indian hurricane; but it appears chat
they have a more important mission to
iuidli. Man must have shelter. It is
assential That houses be supplied
aim for his bodily comfort and as
protection against the heat Of summer
and cold Of winter, and who is there to
say that these great trees viii not
serve him and protect him better when
'ae lumberman gets Though with
hem, than they did before.
Then again the crowding process
7il soon begin We are fruitful and
multiplying and need and must
ave more elbow room. The rich
oil that the great trees have mo-
lopoliaed for centuries win have to Be
allied upon To contribute to the food
supply ot Che future millions Of unborn I
anapltants Of the mundane sphere.
f~lo"saaFes are already being sharp (,
ned t. ZIP open the bgsom of the soil I
aat has produced these great forests, {
ga man.s mend wiH soon be itching to
shis soil /
Mhas must be, win Be. Like the {
neflean indian, annihilation, utter !
.nQ eqmplele IS the fate Of the proud +
aa porty eypre Both seem CON- g
Gang iinss win the pre-histor past y
voices that have come tot d
nom sle distant shores Of ages gone =
Ago hoth are doomed. ia