The Washington herald., 1907-10-20

The United States government is the
/ third largest forest owner in the world,
being ranked only by Russia and Canada.
/ 1t has over IJ00l0.000 acres OF wooded
land, or land suited TO forestation, these
/ being scattered throughout the country
under hfty-nine distinct forest reserves.
such holdings are among the govern
/ ments most recent acquisitions. and so
new was the science Of forestry when the
/ first reservations were set aside, a few
/ years ago. that the situation was almost
/ embarrassing. Half the nation did not
know for some time that the government
/ had undertaken the work Of preserving
/ tie forests, and the majority Of the other
/ half regarded the movement with con-
/ hicting emotions Of Indifference and sus-
picioH. Forest owners openly opposed
/ the law. allowing the government control
/ Of so much domain, and Congress frankly
/ didn't think much of it at first. Forestry
I was an muied science on this side Of
/ the ocean. and though the first foresters
/ had to be sent abroad 20 fit themselves
/ for the work. all they learned could not
/
/ can endeavoTs, a new path had 10 be
/ broken for its successful operation, and
/ Old World plans modified 10 meet pc
cullar New World conditions.
A quarter Of a century ago there was
little hindrance IN the way of the hunter,
the herder. and the lumberman. They
went where they chose, and in their ig-
/ nOrance Of economic values and their in-
difference TO the rights Of others. killed
animals as they would, grazed over val
liable underground, and cut and sashed
mcrcilessly through great forests, leaving
a trail Of death and barren desolation be-
( hind. To-day they who would enter most
/ Of the great forests Of the West, no mat
I ter on what errand, are net at the open
( ing of some natural aisle By a ranger
and politely and closely questioned as 10
the object OF their invasion. If the er-
rand be merely a pleasure trip and II 1t
be in game season. fire arms are sealed
and returned % the travellers, and they
are given warning regarding the care Of
the camp fires they may build As FAR
as they 90 through these government do
mains the travellers Will find these cow
boy like rangers. mounted on WHY cay
uses. lariat and cauteen al the saddle
skirts. and the wise lore Of forest lovers
written in the keen eyes or on the sun
burned faces They are there 10 guard
the forest from depredauons, 10 assist
/ fn its preservation, to oversee its judicious
thinning as the trees mature. 10 watch
the growth Of the younger trees where
forestation has been tried, and 10 keep
an ever vigiIant eve for fres that have
cost the nation already many uncounted
millions of dollars.
The present stumpage Of the United
States is, according 10 FeTDows Econ
cmics Of Forestry two thousand billion
feet. standing on 10000 acres 4 cen
tury ago it was vastly more. and in the
ages Of long age, before Greek scien-
lists began TO dream that the world was
round and that there were people living
on the other side. aboriginal American
people were Systematically destroying
forest lands until. year by year. the
Western winds had famed the fires Of
nut hunters farther and farther east,
leaving barren tract behind, and so
forming the prairies Of to-day. The first
/ settlers regarded the wonderful forest
wealth with pardouable awe and rever-
ence. and. having imbibed an Old Void
regard for conservative foresting, would
have applied their principles here. but
they soon found that the trees hindered
the spread OF their farm lands and har-
bored hostile sIvages. and when this rev
ercnCe changed to eumity, the trees be-
came an easy prey 10 the pioneer folk
and 70 their children.
The need Of lumber for homes, for
ships for FIRE wood. for the thousand
and one accessories 10 civilized progress
OF the nation, soon made numbering one
of the greatest industries First. the
center was in the New England States
and men with axes and saws and great
log teams invaded the forests and cut
and sawed and endangered their lives in
floating logs downstream. until to-day
Maine, the great Pine Tree State. must
import her own pine lumber Then the
center swept TO the virgin forests of the
Middle Northwest. until men who had
ruthlessly cut and burned among the
forest lands awOke 10 the realization
that they must themselves soon be pay
inE SIS a cord for fireWood Then the
South became the center. builders and
manufacturers taking toll Of the great
forest lands there. until Memphis has
arisen to prominence as the greatest
hardwood lumber market in the world
and stack of planks covering over
forty acres is an everyday sight in the
territory bordering on Wolf River.
This section cannot long remain the
center under existing conditions. Then
the call OF the West Will be heard. and
where even now giant SeQuoias and Doug
lass frs are being skidded down the
mountain and sent of by rail TO meet
the ever growing demands. an even great
eT percentage will be taken; and the
West, too, viii pay the price Of national
prosperity. The North still has Soc
0W,ooo feet standing. the South 700000, CO.,
600. the West SOl0000O0 COO: but with the
nation using annually 400 board feet of
lumber per capita, against Europe's sixty
feet per capita, the laws Of supply and
demand may not always be commen-
surate
The people Of the United States have
suffered at their own hands, or at the
hands Of their neighbors, for two CEN
turtles or more. Mountain sides. denuded
Of their forests, have no longer been able
70 conserve the rain and snow fan, and
book, but there seems to be literary talent
in his family. as his brother. referred to