The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1906-01-27
WHAT IS FORESTRY
Essay Read by George Bsiderston

IN preparing paper this subject the great
difficulty is to know just what can be said, or
What branches Of the subject can be touched
upon that OF most practical importance to
us, so to Coninc The limits TO the time that
can be allowed Tor presenting such compre-
hcnSlVc subject
Forestry in its broadcast sense embraces all
that pertains to the protection, growth and use
OF trees, whether for shade, timber or fuel and
these again suggest so many purposes in which
wood is a necessity that only a few can now be
mentioned.
The time was not very distant in the past
when the timber growing Upon our land was
considered an encumbrancc to be cleared off
III the shortest possible time to make way for
the cultivation of the soil in crops OF grain and
grass and except for the farmers wood lot, of
sufficient size to supply fuel. with fencing and
building material for the needs OF the farm. A
market Tor the products OF tie forest was gener-
ally SO distant as to make the lumber of but
little value as such but the needs of our increas-
ing population have SO multiplied the demands
and science has discovered so many new uses
for wood that it is now serious problem where
it is all to come from.
Our railroads now demand a constant and in
creasing supply of crOss-ties, our telegraph and
telephone lines are being extended in every di-
rcctlon, demanding timber suitable for poles
and now the paper mill comes in and demands
vast forests to feed it, as the uses to which paper
and pulp can be proftably put are mutp lying
lis time that iron and steel have been substi-
tutcd for the wooden beams in buildings and
bridges to large extent, and wire has come
i'll as a cheaper substitute for fences and coal or
coal oil now give us fuel as we'll as light but
with all this relief the present annual dcstruc-
ton OF timber far exceeds the growth
With all these data to show the necessities of
timber growth, as they affect Our material wants
we are startled by the we'll authenticated state
mcnt that forest llrcS are now devOurng more
valuable timber annually than all our saw-mills
Our water supply and rainfall arc also intimately
dependent upon the preservation of the timber
growth that must continue as necessary cloth
ing OF our hills and mountains, especially is this
the case with all land too steep or stony for the
plow.
With the removal of natures covering, the
soil soon follows, carried off by floods that now
have nothing to check their progress and large
sections OF our mountainous country are being
made into deserts incapable of growing even
bushes, by reason of fire and food following the
Wasteul and reckless destruction OF forests.
While we have known OF these things for sew
cral generations, it is only within the past de-
cadc that any attempts at practical forestry have
been undertaken i'll this country on a large
scale or by National or State supervision
We have been sitting idly by and looking on,
comforting ourselves with the sort OF logic that
there would be plenty OF wood to supply our
needs during our lives, and that Providence
would apply from the forests of the great North
west, the undeveopcd South or some other
sources supply for our children.
Now we are being awakened from Our peace
tul dreams by the evidences that there will soon
be no native forests to cut, and what is and
should have been kept as a priceless legacy for
future generations, is being destroyed in the
most Wanton and wasteful manner that the
greed OF man. with the aid of steam and modern
machinery can devise.
Millions of acres that might be growing to
valuable timber on the mountains of the Pacific