The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-11-17
CHRISTMAS TREE VANDALISM.

In the interest directly of Repre-
ntative Fits bill relating to this
subject, and also to the general matter
of forestry, the following article from
the Daily Journal of Dec. 49, 1908,
is republished:
On certain farm in Middlesex Gen.
ter and on certain part Of that farm
some seventy five or eighty years ago
hoed crops were planted. That area
is now covered with a heavy growth
of spruce which was recently sold, at
a remunerative price, and a heavy crop
of good spruce timber will be harvest,
ed therefrom this winter. While the
owner has slept this timber has been
growing; while he has been engaged
in various occupations the treetops
have been stretching up toward heaven,
and their trunks have been expanding.
without care or effort of his, tract of
land has been increasing in value,
year by year, better than bank stock,
better than the investments of money
which sometimes take to themselves
wings and fly away. Deep rooted in
the bosom of Mother Earth this devel-
oping forest has stood faithfully by its
proprietor.
What would be done today with an
old WORKOUT pasture growing up to
spruoes? TIL It is, if the pasture we're
the possession Of a certain class of
farmers? Adjoining the forest to
which reference has been made above
is some wild land the property of
the owner of the spruce timber in
question. 1T bears scattered growth
of young spfuces. The owner has been
importuned by the Christmas tree van
dals for permission to cut the little
trees to ship to the city markets. The
old farmer was too wise to consent.
BY nature a foe of vandalism, with the
object lesson OF his acres of little
spruces grown TO full and mature tree
hood, and selling for the high market
value of timber. what to him was the
paltry fraction OF penny offered for
each individual of another developing
forest?
a Philadelphia correspondent, in
an article published in the Journal,
has written of the appearance of YER
mont Christmas trees in that city, and
the prices at which they sell. The ship.
per gets half cent apiece; he pays a
price that is immeasursbly petty. de
leaves the land from which the trees
are cut in wretched plight. II a
tree is too large sometimes it is cut
some TWO to four feet from the ground
p, and the sprawling stump left to en-
cumper the land or tree twenty
or thirty feet in height is felled the
top Topped off and the remainder left
to decay. So do the Christmas tree
vandals despoil the State. Vermont S
forests constitute the States best as
set. The grown timber should be hur-
vested with direct reference to pro-
tecting and preserving the growing.
The growing spruces, wantonly saori-
feed, ought to be left to mature. The
wastefulness of the Christmas tree
cutters is almost criminal. Hundreds
of thousands are yearly sent to the
cities. They are shipped by car
loads This practice in an i'm.
portant way, is a striking illustration
of the folly and imprudencs that has
long prevailed in the State respecting
its woodlands, or prospective forests.
1t is deplorable, but it is one of the
CHARACTERISTICS of republican form OF
government that this waste cannot be
controlled, that it must go on un
checked, if greed or heedlessness wll
that it shall continue. 1t is the par
of wise craftsmanship to provide some
check to the despoiling of the forests
even if the State has to purchase tt
save them.
1t might be added in this cnnnec
tion by way of further Reproduction o
this species of vandalism, that TIT
Philadelphia market, two years ago
was so oyerstocked with Christina
trees that, in order to make short
age and keep up the market price
many carloads we're sent just outsid t
the city and burned. The tree hunt
ers are around again this year. Pas
Mr.. Fits bill, or some measure t.
stop this monstrous waste.
EORESTRY TEGISTiATION