The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-21
APPEAL FOR FORESTS
PROF. GAsKILL ADDRESSES LUM-
 BERMEN OF ALABAMA.
Representative of Department at Wash- fngton Advocates a Bureau of Forestry In This state
 to Save Trees.

A plea for the protection of the for ests of Alabama, and the establishment of bureau of forestry or a director of forestry in the state, was the subject of an address delivered by Prof. Alfred Gaskill of the Forest Service Bureau, attached to the Department of Agri- culture at Washington. to the members of the Alabama Lumber Manufacturers' Association at the eighth meeting Of that body in Montgomery yesterday afternoon. The meeting was held at the rooms of the Commercial Club.
 ''The North and West have both suf- ered,immeasurabie loss through timber waste" said Professor Gaskiii ',and un- less measures are taken in time to care for the trees in this and other South ern states, the South is going to repeat its experience. The lumber trade should be made a permanent industry in this section of the country, and this can be done only by taking care of the for ests"
 Later in the afternoon. Prof. Gaskiil had long conference with Governor Jelks on the subject of the creation of a forestry bureau in Alabama. The talk of Prof. Gaskill was deliver ed to the lumber manufacturers at their afternoon session, the morning meet ing having been given up to business of the organization. More than twenty five members of the association attend ed both meetings representing firms that turn out more than 1S0,00o,000 feet of timber annually The opening ses- sion was taken up largely with re- view, of the trade reports of lumber conditions in this state. The Big Creek Mill Company of Elba, represented by W. Al Garrett, was elected to member ship.
 Tn the absence of President John L. Raul of Birmingham. Vice-President F. H. I.athrop of that city presided at both sessions. J. H. Eddy was secre- tary
 It was at the afternoon session of the meeting that Professor Gaskill address ed the organization. Being introduced by Chairman Lathrop, the government official delivered a short, but practical and forceful talk on forestry condf- | tions In this state, and the needs of the lumber industry in Alabama and the | South.
 Prefaeing his remarks with a state ment Of the value of timber in Ala l bama. the speaker said that the lumber business in this state amounts today to l approximately x25.000,000 a year. To I produce this amount, he said. the Ium- Der dealers are rapidly using up their l forest capital. whereas It should be their object to use only the interest l fguratively. At the rate the forests
  I of only a few years until there will be nothing but waste lands in place of the l tracts of timber which are now stand | ing. It is to avoid this destruction of one of the States chief sources of natural wealth, he said, that the tifii- Der men should strive to bring about. Examine into this problem" he said. land see whether you cannot keep the forests permanent with advantage to yourselves. There has been great waste | In timber cutting, and almost no fore | thought for the future. Tn the evolu- l tion of the industry, the little mill with | limited capacity has become the big plant which turns out immense quan- | titles of sawH timber These big plants
 mean pern1anence and capital, and in 1 the preservation of this capital, the | lumberman should be as careful as the | manufacturer.
 You all know how rapidly the tim | Der of Alabama has been going. The | process of timber waste has worked through the Eastern states and North. | ern states. until now there are only two sections of the country which have | standing timber in any great quanti-
 ties, the Pacific Slope and the Gulf | States.
 The forestry proposition has come down, to this. You must so cut the
 mature trees that the immature trees !
 velop. Otherwise. there soon will be nc timber and the lumber industry must die as 1t has in the North and East''
 Professor Gaskiil took an attitude oi
 strong opposition against the cattle grazing industry.
 You must stop grazing" he said
 since Investigating conditions in this
 State, find that every agricultural in dustry fin Alabama Is tied up by the cattle grazers. The man who owns
 stock wants to graze his cattle on the
 land of others. The cattle eat the
 small trees. the hogs rect them tip There has been much talk about rail
 roads setting fire to timber. venture
 to say that nine out of every ten forest fires are started by cattle grazers. Last
 week I personally investigated a fire
 and found that it was burning toward
 a railroad and not away from It. prov ing conclusively that 1t had been start
 ed by agencies other than the railroad.
 The speaker prophesied great future wealth from the timber growing indus l try in Alabama, provided steps are
 taken to regulate the growth of trees and make the forests a permanent
 source of revenue. There are more
 than 13,000.000 acres in this State. he said, which are too poor or too wet for 1 any agricultural purposes except the ' Al. n. Q Al ..N-