The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-04
IS LOSING HER GREAT FORESTS Government Lands Are PreServ-
 ed With Care PRIVATE LANDS DENUDED Steps Are Being Taken to Prevent Waste, But Not of Sufficient Ex tent To Repair the Damage
 So Far Done.
PRIVATE LANDS DENUDED


 Faris paints a discouraging picture of privately-owned forest land in France, and shows that causes are operAting 1 there similar to those which are pro- ducing deplorable results in our own country.
 Forest lands owned and administered by the French government are well guarded and taken care of, but that cannot be said of some of the large tracts owned by compa nies and in diNiduals who care only for immediate profit and take little thought for the future.
 It has been the custom to point to France as one of the countries where the practice of forestry has produced It's best results. This is true regard ing land under a national forest ad- | ministration. It appears, however, that outside of the holdings of the govern ment. departments, and communes, the prevailing conditions are not much bet ter than in some of this country's timber regions where operators so of ten skin the land and leave 1t a prey to fire and flood.
 After stating that more than three fourths of Frances forest area is pri- vately owned, MT. Milton B. Kirk. who writes the report, says: "Often large tracts are sold to spectators who, after cutting off the trees regardless of size, sell the land for grazing. Due to this, resinous trees are fast disap- bearing, the ash and the acacia can scarcely be found, the poplar is be- coming rare, and the ch estnuts of the mountains have nearly disappeared. Gaul, once the home of the great oak forests, now has to seek other coun- tries to furnish the necessary supply of oak"
 Although America is only hundreds Of years old where France is thous- ands, similar results are already to be seen here. Not long ago white pine forests extended from the head of the Mississippi to the head of the Susque- hanna, covering an area larger than the whole of France. At the present time only detached fragments remain. The spruce end the hemlock are fol- lowing the same way The yellow poplar, one of the finest American
 
 tough est and most useful, are now oft sought in vain where they once grew in abundance. Cedar, the ideal wood for lead pencils. was plentiful not long ago. but is now so scarce that 1t is bought by the pound. The oak. though not yet as scarce here as in France, is rapidly disappearing
 The cause which is producing these results Is the same in France as In America. "eutting off the trees regard less of size" Experience has demon- strated that forest preservation has not been much helped by private owner shi ip of timber land, either in France or in this country. Immediate profit to the individual, both here and there, Is too apt to result in permanent loss to the whole people.
 One ninth of Frances area is forest. of which the government owns and administers one-eighth only, or about 27O7. 900 acres. One-third of the United States is classed as forest land. and the forest service is administering less than one-fourti of 1t. or 15S,0O0,0UO acres. Some 500,00G000 acres are pri- vately owned. considerable portion of the land in this country, classed as forest. has but little merchantabie tim Der. It has been cut or burned
 The government is preserving and reforesting, but private owners are not. as A rule. They are following the example of the timber owners in France, cutting the land clear, and letting 1t go to pasture-or to waste
 France Is paying the penalty now. The foresters say the United States will pay 1t later. Speaking along this line MT. Kirk says in his report: "France pays over $14.000, 900 annually to foreign countries for the privilege of building her homes" This is for pine wood imported. principally from Norway Sweden. Russia and Roumania If does not represent one-half of the total cost of imported lumber.
 If is fortunate for France. and for all countries which do not grow their own timber. that there are countries which still have lumber for sale. But in a short time this supply will faii. No country will have any to spare m few years The reserve supply or theA whole world the accommodated growth of mast centuries in remote districts, Ia being rapidly drawn upon. After n few years-a few generations at most-the available supply Will De only what the worlds forests will De apie to grow from year to year. FIoouctio" and harvest must balance in the lun- her market as in the grain supply
 Trees do not grow in year like wbeat and careful plan and long look ahead are necessary. untortu- nately. the individual has not yet made up his mind to do that In dealing with forests. But governments are begin nine to do 1t, although in many cases if is a late beginning. The United states is now administering the third largest government forest area in the world. Only Russia and Canada nave more. It is now fully realized that the country which does not grow us own timber will soon go without.