The Elbert County tribune., 1906-08-09
PLEA FOR TREES
COLORADO MAKING RAPID AD
VANCE IN FORESTRY.
WORK DONE IN INSTITUTES
Need of Forestry Course in State Asri-
cultural colIege-It viii Pay to
Plant Trees-city Trees Would In
voice a Fortune.
(By w. C. M. stone.)


voice a Fortune.
(By W. G.. NJ Stone)
The State Agricultural College is
like Galileo's world-it moves, and it
moves rapidly. 1t may surprise some
to know 1t is moving toward the
woods" For the last two years its
movements in this direction have been
rapid. Its bulletin on the trees OF
Denver; the starting of an arboretum;
the cooperative experiment in tree
planting recently undertaken and now
in progress embracing nearly $1,000
utility trees; the putting of forestry
in the programs Of the farmers insti-
tutes last winter. and now selecting
forestry for one Of the short courses
the coming winter, is, on the whole,
movement so rapid and SO progressive
as to stamp it as phenomenal.
But this is not all. Two years ago
the subject of putting full course of
forestry study in the college was
brought before the State Board of Agri-
culture. To-day the board would do
so IL there were funds available for the
purpose. But the state has made pro-
vision for no forestry work. The
friends of the college and the adyo-
Gates of forestry should combine and
call to their aid all available help to
induce the next Legislature to adopt a
forest policy and provide for its appli-
cation and efficiency.
If our legislators could only be i'm
pressed with the importance of the
subject; if they could realize that
there are not trees enough in the
United States outside of Alaska, TO
supply the present demand for lumber
beyond the year 1923; If they could
but know that our timber peril (al-
ready being felt in the price OF lumber
which, in spite of all protestation, Will
continue to increase) is going to force
the country into tree planting and that
education in forestry Will be as neces-
sary as education for scientific or pro-
fessional pursuits, they would not hes
itate to provide literally for forestry
work in the Agricultural college. Such
provision will have to be made, to be
carried out either by the State Agricul-
tural College or the State University, or
| by a separate and distinct institution
| like the State School of Mines.
| The last is not to be thought of. AS
| between the other two forestry, like
| horticulture, is nearer akin to an agri-
| cultural college, per Sc, than to uni
yersity. But one or the other must
| take it up. One or the other will take
| it up. In Michigan both have done so.
| The time may come when, in Colorado.
| both will incorporate it. Both the
| State Board of Agriculture and the col
lege faculty stand ready to put course
of forestry in the college as soon as an
| appropriation for the purpose can be
| secured.
The imperative need of immediate
action is not deeply impressed upon
| the people, indeed, nobody is i'm
! pressed as deeply as the subject de-
mands. The impending peril of forest
| exhaustion, so rapidly approaching,
and SO dangerously near, does not
move us as it should, nor are we drawn
to avail ourselves of the alternative.
offered by nature, with that avidity
that self-interest would suggest. Some
may say that If we run short of timber
we can do without. What great peril
is there In that?" they ask.
We fail to realize that when our tim
l
factories and mercantile houses manu-
featuring and dealing in the products
of the forest Hundreds of thousands
of people, directly and indirectly, live
off of the forests of the country. Their
permanent idleness would force the
idleness of thousands more. 1t would
mean panic, anarchy, social and busi-
ness chaos.
Nature is very kind and yet she is
MS stone, as resentful as merciless as
kind. For the sin OF deforestation she
drives civilization from any land She
always has. AS Adam was driven from
the garden of Eden so was civilization
driven from Palestine. Syria and other
countries for this cause and the sword
of Aridity set against its return.
Unless we stop our present course.
unless we adopt some method to re-
pair to restore, to replace. to build
new, our doom is just as certain, as
fixed, as fore-ordained as the doom OF
Carthagenia or Babylonia. The law is
inexorable. But, when the American
people come TO see ana realize the
pitiless pit to which they are newt
ably tending they will suddenly stop
and unhesitatingly seize the aiuerna-
live. Our forest remnants will become
sacred and tree planting will become
one stupendous vocation.
Some will stop and ask, will it
pay?" There is no motive like self-in-
terest. This is the very pivot on which
our salvation will turn. ''Will it pay to
plant trees?" 1t pays in Kansas, and ii
1t will pay there it will pay here. Our
soil is just as good, we can raise bet.
ter farm crops. Why can we not raise
just as good trees as they and make
as much money? 1t is worth trying,
and the Agricultural college has taken
the lead, and will show us the way.
But aside from this it is worthy of
note, and reflection. that in the city of
Denver there are thousands of black
locusts that have been set and grown