Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-06-17
The FAM AND RANCE
school Of Forestry Needed.

Following is u par, Of ,hs address de-
iisered before the Colorado state Board
u Agriculture by W. q. 81. Stone:
When We kno~ that the sEsat piner-
ies Of Maine. Wisconsin. siiehisan and
Minnesota are virtually exhausted. and
when We know that all the northern
siates are diyest.d Of their hard woods
and that the southern forests are rap
Idly disappearing. and when We arc
assured that from fs3O TO 1900 the out
put OF the saw riills OF the United
States Increased from isOJo. COCOON to
- .DJp. .0JJ. go feet II, NJ. or nearly nine
~ pcr cent. and that the average price
Of lumber. during the same period. ad-
saneed twenty-ninr per cent. anu
when Nc are told that u takes from
our best virgin forests annually nearly
= squaf. mile of pine for our matches:
tiil recently nearly fye luaTe miles oI
choice sugar maple for Shoe pegs: 100000
cords OF hardwood timber tor lasts and
trrcs In the manuineiuT" of boots and
shoes: ilS square miles idr telegraph.
telephone ana trolley poles: and when
wc are Informed that the railroads use
8: 10000 ti.h annually. and the trolley
iiIes si.5O0.O1o: when We hear all this.
i say. ana think whn, II means. We are
mute with asionishmsni-
IL means that Our loTczis Will soon be
sonc-thc best observers say within
t~cnty-iv. to thirty years. or In less
than ON. generation II means that We
staii soon b. fiec to incc with tim
bef famine. IL means that American
railroads. telegraph and telephone COM
panics. corporations holding lnFsr
tracts OF land and lumber companies
must begin To plant forests. .s.
Within the last year OF two the Bn-
rcau OF forsniry at Washington has
Teen called upon by number OF cor
porntions, lumber companies aud par
ties hoidin. large estates To assist in
beginning the repair OF old forests that
have been wrecked by wastciul meth
ods.
Now all these things require the ser
vice Of men properly skilled In the
knowiedg. and experience OF forestry.
The railroads ind II difiicuit to obtain
liEen capable OF taking charge OF such
operations and the government In taxed
to md enough competent men To take
charge Of the various enterprises To
which II Ia lending assistance: this
shows the need Of forcs, schools.
The railroads. corporations USING
large quantities OF lumber In various
| ways 1uu ue2Ny tuhueUh'u "V
ready beginning to get ready for the
coming timber famine.
Farmers. too must awaken To the sit
uation and get ready for the timber
dcarth so rapidly approaching. Every
farmer should have his wood lot OF
| useful trees. trees good for posts. poles
and other uses. How many timber lots
do We know OF among farmers!
An yet, II farmers were to take up
this work In earnest. where would they
lind proper kinds OF trees? Where are
the nurseries for their supply? And
II they had the stock how many would
know how to set and handle forest trees
| for best resultR? Or where could they
! fnd men skilled In sylvaculture TO in
struct or assist them! We are woe
fully deficient In forestry education and
/ experience. tbN-Cr Ti1'aEsffEt sFri NJ
| Within a generation there will be
tens Of Thousands Of people to- educate
in ssylvaculture and forest science.
| Within that time there will be many
millions of acres of forests to plant
and every farmer more or les Will
have his wood lot"
So when I am asked II there is need
\ Of forest schools ! answer yes. and no.
where more than In Colorado ~ 5I
/ IN Our plains were treeless when we
came. The trees we have planted on
the farm have been set chiefly for wind
| breaks. Few of, the useful varieties
have been selected for. this purpose.
During the next generation you VIII
/ see the black locust, catalpa speciosa.
white ash. black walnut, sugar maple
and other kinds more valuable and
more useful being set by millions. " u
And to assist in the coming needs
! this college should hayeia forest farm.
In charge of an expert. in all matters
pertaining to forestry. This farm should
be ample, and well located as to water
and railroad facilities, On IT should be
state nursery to supply the farmers
/, Of the state such trees as are adapted
to our climate and as would. be useful
when grown. On this farm should also
| be dual arborotum. One containing
sll kinds OF deciduous trees. both In
| digenous and exotic. and another en-
| bracing the evergreen families Of every
sort. both native and foreign and an
accurate record kept for data. refer
| ence and guidance as the years go by.
Although our state is mole than a
quarter of century old yet 1t has no
Official or standards by which to COM
| pare and Judge of forest tree growth or
| adaptability. BY this neglect the pres
| ent need of all these things Is greatly
accumulated. 1872
Before close let me say word in
regard to the demand for a forest
| school to meet the needs of our noun
tain forestry. When the early settlers
came they found thirty to thirty-five
thousand square miles of forests within
our state lines. To-day we are said to
have less than 1000. a..af
Not only must the waste be arrested
and the remnant preserved, and con-
served for use. but the work of refor-
estaticn is before us. This will require
skill. s a cial training and expert for
esters. The restoration of our forests
will give work in time to hundreds and