Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-06-09
THE FALLING TREES
OUR FORESTS BEING DEvAsTAT-
ED BY VARIOUS MEANS.
Grazing Animals Find Many Ways to
Kill the Timber-Insects and
Other Causes Always
ut Work.

One OF the most frequent causes Of
forest fires is the grazing OF animals
on forest land. To improve the graz
Ing, the owners Of flocks and herds
often fire the grass or other fodder
plants, sometimes with the intention
OF destroying the forest itself, and thus
increasing the area OF the pasturage,
but more often to improve temporarily
the quality Of the feed. The majority
of these fires do not kill the old trees.
but. by destroying the seeds and the
young trees. they do great injury to the
forest. ard finally to the fodder plants
themselves. And to understand the
enormous amount Of damage wrought
by this one cause, we must remember
that vast areas are burned over every
year, in nearly all parts Of the United
States where trees grow, and 1t Is q
fact we'll known to foresters that hun
dreds Of thousands of acres in the west,
where sheep are in the habit OF graz
ing, would be covered by forests to-
day, II 1t were not for the repeated
burnings to which the ground has been
subjected.
In forests where grazing Is permitted
much damage is often done by tramp
ling. Heavy animals. like horses and
cattle. pack the soil with their boots.
and destroy the rootlets Of small trees.
but these animals, having big. broad
feet, do comparatively little harm.
Sheep, on the other hand, are very
harmful, particularly where the soil IL
loose, and upon steep slopes. Their
hoofs, being small and sharp, they cut
into the soil and powder 1t up. at the
some time breaking and cutting the
young growth to such an extent that
fiourishing young forests are often
completely destroyed. Nor does the
danger of trampling stop with the de-
struction OF the forest itself. We should
take warning by the disasters which
followed the grazing OF sheep in the
Alps of southern France. There, first
Of all, the forests were destroyed. Then
followed the grass which had replaced
the forests, and the soil was then left
fully exposed to the rains. The result
was q succession OF floods, and the
force of the water carried down enor-
nous quantities Of stones. and spread
them over what bad been fertile fields.
depopulating many prosperous valleys.
The cost to the French people has al
ready run into tens Of millions Of dol
lars, and the end 10 not yet. The loss
is out of all proportion to any gair,
which may have been derived from
the mountain pastures, and even the
sheep owners themselves are losers In
the end, as the sheep industry in that
region has been utterly ruined.
Then the grazing animals do fur
Their harm by browsing on the young
growth, and on the tender shoots and
branches of the larger trees, ofteI
making them unsightly or unsound.
Insects are always at work in the
forest. and sometimes their ravages rec
suit in serious loss. During the last
90 wears the larva Of a saw-fy has been
eating the foliage of the larch trees IL
the Adirondacks to such an effect that
nearly every fullgrown tree OF this spe-
cies has been killed in that region. This
work of the elm beetle, the gypsy moth
and many other insects is too well
known to require comment.
Many other enemies have the trees.
amongst them being the fungli, which
are ever ready to attack fresh wound
of any kind. Their ravages may often
be prevented by a dab Of paint or tar.
which will exclude the air and the
spores with which 1t is laden. The
wind sweeps through the forest, some
times doing good by removing the old
and dying treesr and sometimes doing
harm by throwing down those which
have not yet reached maturity. The
influence of snow, also, Is two-fold. 1t
does great good by protecting the soil
and the young trees. and 1t often does
great harm by bending and breaking.
and crushing out Of shape. many tall
young members Of the forest.
OF course, our forests should be pro-
tected. for the best of business reasons,
but there are trees in this country
which are entitled to our consideration
and protection, not SO much on account
of their money value. but because they
are among the wonders of the world.
OF course, refer to the big trees Of
California, many Of which seemed to
be doomed unless the United States
government takes immediate steps to
preserve them. These trees are unique
and of worldwide fame. They tower
400 feet above the ground, and the age
of some Of them Is said to be 10000
vears rRNEST HAROLD BAYNES.