Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-18

VILE 1nd Nashville railroad In Illinois,
Alabama. Florida ana Kentucky. and
the various black locust plantations of
the Pennsylvania railroad throughout
the state OF Pennsylvania.
Plantations so far have been devoted
TO the growth OF catalpa and locust,
but Ii is certain that as time goes on
the work viii be extended TO include
chestnut red oak, European larch ann
similar woods which are rapid growers
ana yield good timber over "A large
area OF the country chestnut grows
wen The United states forest service
Is authority FOR the statement that
chestnut forest started from the seed
can be cut over number Of times az
intervals Of from 80 to 40 years, yield
ing under good forest management,
from geo TO 400 ties per acre at ehch
cutting.
Some desolutory tree planting was
done by railroads as long as 80 years
ago. but has demonstrated nothing
other perhaps than IN the darlington
catalpa plantation In Kansas. which
has been used for fence posts, 70 show
an annual net profit per acre OF Sl2.6o
for the time the land has been occupied.
This Is exceedingly encouraging and
suggests that thousands Of tracts or
unproductive land could be very proiit-
ably planted by their owners to catalpa,
locust. chestnut and other prontaple
woods. There Is no section OF the
country TO which some tree Is not Wei
adapted which Is valuable for ties ana
poles.
OBJECT LESSON TO FARMERS.
II is very doubtful II any railroad
will ever be able to plant trees in sur
lcient number to secure its entire sup
ply of cross-ties. but the planting eN-
perments made by the railroads VIII
tend 10 stimulate land owners holding
land along the right of way to plant
their waste or unproductive lands WIN
trees which will produce tie timber
and thus furnish the railroad with a
supply Of ties in the future,
The annual tie consumption OF me
Pennsylvania railroad alone IS ABOUT
3 $50, 900 ties to produce when ABOUT
l2,s00 acres must be cut
In many cases the question on the
production for the railroads will un-
doubtety be 'blved by the proper
management OF existing tracts OF forest
land which the roads now own or may
acquire rather than by any extensive
scheme Of forest planting,
The Forest Service several years ago
BEGAN study Of the forest plantations
which had been made in this country
and as a result of this study scheme
OF co-Operation with land owners ana
others was devised whereby the Forest
Service gives practical assistance ana
advice in establishing commercial plan
tations. sheterbets, windbreaks. etc.
/ This assistance is usually embodled
In q planting plan. which enumerates
the kinds Of trees to be planted upon
any given planting site, and gives m
structions for the preparation OF the
! ground and for the spacing ana setting
4 Of Young trees Advantage has been
taken OF the assistance offered and
hundreds OF planting plans have been
| made for farmers. who have planted
| wood lots. shelter belts. and wind
/ breaks with success In accordance win
| the directions furnished by the For
| est Service.
MILLIONS OF PLANTABLE ACRES.
There are millions of acres I'm the
| United States today In private owner
| ship which are not adapted to FARMING
nut which would pay n handsome re-
! turn on the Investment II planted 10
trees aud Systematically cared tor as
a forest plantation. When the trees
/ have once reached period of growth
| which gives them a lnarketdDle 'hluC
Intelligent management cutting eacn
year only a portion of the timber ana
allowing for reforestation. would make
such forest plantations q source OF rev
onue as long az the country continues
20 he inhabited by men.
The whole forest problem u DIG
one. The idea that a forest is TO pe
! cut over clean and then abandoned II
nothing short Of ridiculous from a ma
tional business standpoint II We
would begin as nation today TO plant
tree in every place whore we cut
one down and to replant forests that
have already been destroyed and aban-
doned we would not need to fear a
timber famine IN the future or the dry.
, Ing up Of our rivers and streams ana
! che loss Of the water power they sup
ply. ,,
GUY ELLIOTT MITCHELL.