The Washington herald., 1907-10-20
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

sudden dangerous foods have been pre-
cipitated in the valleys below. erodlng the
hiilsides, sweeping alluvial lands out to
sea- rendering farms unpToducuye. and
leaving no water reserve for summer
days. With no trees 10 break tie ~u1
or to temper the climate winter and SUM
mer. decided climatic revolution has
swept over some sections. Sheep aal
goat raisers have allowed their aocEs-t0
Craze over great sections OF forest land
where they have swept the floor of the
hills clean before them, stripping young
trees Of their foliage, eating Iii grass
and young shoots. and tramplng the
ground into barren waste the land be-
hind stretching ont as dcs0late ass though
a fire bad blown that way. F.-es from
lumbermen's camps, from hunters pipes.
from trains. from Indian nut-gatlersrs'
small clearing frames and from ighJ-
ning-struck trees have burned not only
the trees ana underground. but have
eaten several feet deep into the rich leaf
mould below, rendering the soil almost
too sterile for immediate forest Tepr0jgc-
ton.
When the nation awakened to the
gravity Of this situation steps were taken
10 protect the remaining forests not for
the good Of the government. nor for the
financial good Of any one individual, but
for the benefit Of the whole people. Lands
have been set aside in sixteen States and
Territories by the President under Lu act
Of March 8. 1881. an area greater than
the New England and Middle States com
bined. and more and more win Doe added
as the eXigencies Of the case demand 5r.
System has grown out OF confusion. for
The step was new. and the nation at drst
had much TO learn. The Division NJ For
estry has been taken from the Depart
meat Of the Interior and made service
under the Department Of Agriculture. and
with One-fOrtieth OF the entire area of tl-
United States under their control and
with an annual appropriation appr5N-
mating $4,000 with which 10 carry 0u
their work Of experiment and protection.
those in charge are already beginning t5
show practical and profitable returns.
The service has to correct all the evils
enumerated above. provide means 10 PEE
vent their recurrence, and make amends
for such losses Of the past as they can.
The work they have undertaken ls stu
pendous, yet the results achieved iu So
short a time have proved the urgent need
Of the science OF forestry in the great
economical progress OF the nation. stand
ing forests are being preserved by en-
couraging conservative numbering and cha
planting Of many trees 10 replace every
ripe one fened Sheep raisers have n1t
been put out OF business. as they bitterly
prophesied, but have been allowed t8
lease government lands for grazing .er-
tain restrictions being observed for g.4
protection Of herbiage and this indus
try has greatly increased. Miners Esve
not been denied prospecting rights. as
tHey believed they would be should they
have 10 pass through government forest
reserves, but have awakened 10 the fact
that through the government VIII come
the only means Of securing tsrhers for
props in the mine shafts of the fr-ura
when private forests have been deu.ered
by wasteful cutting.
Every summer two or three hundred
young men are chosen from among the
thousands Of college men who apply u
the service, and for a salary at which
hod-carrier would turn Up his Celae
nose, tramp for months through the for
est reserves taking the heights Of trees.
making stem analyses and valuation
surveys, acre by acre, until a fair ssu-
mate Of the output Of each section can
be determined. They measure the trunks
Of trees with ealipers. they tend -n-r-
shoots in nurseries. they study insect life
that may help or injure trees. ana. when
asked viii make a careful survey ana
working plan for any private forest
Ihey are working hard 10 raise the
United States from the depths of igu1r-
ance and indifference 10 the conservation
or her forest products. depths which She
occupied alone with China " all the great
nations Forest schools at Butmore. r.
G; Yale, Harvard. Pennsylvania State
College. and the University OF lIic1ieau.
otter instruction OF an advanced nature
and eleven State colleges have added for
estry 10 their curTicUla
The most notable work of f0restat.1r
is that Of the Dismal River Reserve. la
Northwest Nebraska. where it was found
that only jack pine would grow a rur-
sery was set up, and $500 acres All. be-
ing set at the rate OF L01) acres o year
The trees Will be ready for use Dr. lalm
thirty 10 seventy-dve years. according 90
the timber needed Los Angeles s. th.
first city 10 % ON record as planting
forest for proht. Griffith Park. q atE-
acre tract Of waste land. having been set
with trees under the direction of four
f0resters OF the United States service.
Railroad companies. with their thousands
OF miles OF ties 10 De continually renewed.
are beginning 10 raise their own timber,
encouraged by the Forest Service The
Illinois Central has two large areas oE
catalpas, one IN Illinois, and one iu Louis
lana. The Frisco twenty-five years ago
planted go acres IN trees. and recently
cut Sl0O.00 worth Of timber for its use.
The Louisville and Nashville has private
forests. recently repianted. in Florida.
Alabama, and Illinois; the Santa Fe. u
Kansas, and the Burlington system. il
Nebraska, some years ago planted forests
of their own. With effort like this con-
tinually in evidence, the nation may some
day expect results such as those iu Ne
braska. which, when first settled. had
only per cent of It's area wooded. and
now boasts over 100000 acres of t.uberel
land-a living monument 10 the progress
siye spirit Of an awakened nation
Tomorrow Slof-Machine EyoIu-
tiOn.