Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-11

which there are 1,2OO trees to the acre.
This measure will doubtless be effective
in restoring many square miles of wood
land, but 1t is even more important that
something should be done to stop the strip
ping of the mountain sides Thousands of
acres are denuded every MONTH for lumber
and for the pulp mills. The spruce, birch
and other trees are especially adapted to
the manufacture of paper, and that mate
nal is rapidly being consumed throughout
the entire country. A large part of the
forests of the White mountains belong to
paper manufacturers. The Publishers Paper
Company own $1,000 acres, the 1nterna-
tlonal Paper Company 100000. the Berlin
Mills Company 10000. j. E. Henry & Sons
$4,000, and other papermakers have cor
responding amount.
Several of the hotel companies have large
areas; the Mt. Washington has 10000 acres.
the Profile House 600, the Crawford House
1900 Fabyans 1000 and others a proper
tionate amount. All of the hotel companies
and some of the paper companies are at
tempting to preserve and cultivate the small
trees. They cut only those that are more
than twelve inches in diameter and others
that show signs of decay. That lets the
sunlight in, and the young trees grow all
the better for it. Nearly all these COM
panes now have trained men, graduates of the
schools of forestry at Yale and other col
leges to look after their timber and direct
the management of their forests on scien-
tific principles, which is a very encourage
ing sign.
Experience of a Scientific Cutter.
Daniel Saunders of Lawrence Mass, was
the first practical forester in the White
mountains. Through his wife he inherited
the township of Livermore in which there
are about 10000 acres of spruce, Fifteen
years ago he calculated that at his rate of
cutting at that time he would strip that
area in few years and be at the end of
the business. Therefore he bought large
ty1r Of Ia, In, i,,t, li,1r, TO
down there when he had finished all the
trees in this part of the country, but while
studying the situation he figured out in his
own mind that by cutting only the big trees
and sparing the small ones he could make
better profit than If he cut them alto
gether. He tried the experiment for fifteen
cutting only tire trees twelve ent inches b in
made a survey, and found that he had
more twelve-inch trees upon his 10000 acres
than We're growing there fifteen years be-
fore, although ne had not diminished the
volume of lumber produced at his saWmill
q single foot. On the other hand, the years
cut was larger than 1t had been fifteen
years before. He had begun annually at
the other end of the forest and gradually
cut out all the big trees, which permitted
the smaller ones to have more sunlight and
caused them to grow more rapidly. He
goes through his 10000 acres of spruce an
nually year after year and cuts out all the
big trees and those which incumber the
sends his lumber to Boston.
Other lumbermen are gradually beginning
to see the advantages of following Mr.
Saunders example, several of them are
employing skilled foresters to direct the,
cutting of their timber not only to pre-
serve the forests and increase their beauty
but to secure permanent annual crop
from land whose value by the old process
would be destroyed. Each year sees an in
crease in the number of these operations.
and they have been encouraged and stimu-
lated by forestry commission appointed
by the governor, under authority from the
legislature, and by society for the preser-
walton of New Hampshire forests which
comprises some Of the most public-spirited
men and women in the state They keep
trained forester travelling about from town
to town, lecturing to the people. arranging
for the practical study of forestry in the
public schools and educating public senti-
ment.
Appeal to Congress.
Two years ago the Legislature adopted
memorial asking Congress to create forest
reserve in the White mountains In order to
preserve these forests. Its advocates pooled
their issues with a similar society that has
been working several years for an Appa-
lachian reserve in North Carolina, east
Tennessee, kentucky and northwestern
Georgia and last year a bill passed the
Senate appropriating 5000, 600 for the pur-
chase of an area Of 1850 square miles, but
1t failed to secure the attention of the
House. The subject Will be renewed at the
next session, and sooner or later a law for
this purpose will be passed. Such action
would benefit all New England in an eco
nomcal sense and all the inhabitants of the
country In general way, because 1t would
preserve forever the water power which
turns the wheels of a thousand mills and
would preserve a playground for the tired
city people, a santarium for hay fever suf-
ferers and a retreat for those who need
quiet and rest. In that sense we are all in
terested and everybody should encourage
the appropriation. The manufacturers of
New England are Vitally interested. There
is no coal in this country and they are de-
forests of the White mountains their water
power will gradually diminish, which is a
serious national danger If the trees are
cut down and the springs and brooks are
left without their natural protection there
will be no water power in New England.
For a series Of years the spring floods
have been growing more and more de-
structfve in this part Of the country because
where the timber Is cut away the rainfall
and the melted snow pour down the hill
sides into the streams and swell them be-
yOnd their banks. The president of the
Amoskeag Cotton Company, at Manchester,
says that In 1895 a single food cost them
100000, and almost every factory in New
England suffered more less. These dam
ages will be repeated regularly unless the
forests are preserved, and this preservation,
therefore, becomes a simple proposition like
the support of fire Department or police
force.