Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-02
DOING A GREAT work.
Valuable Operations Of the
Forestry Bureau.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Trees Being Planted in Different Parts
Of the West.
GOVERNMENT TIMBER STOLEN
Cooperation With Those Who Are
Endeavoring to Reclothe the
Hills Denuded Of Forests.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla, February Is, 1907.
From the recent discussion over the agri-
cultural appropriation bill it is evident that
certain members of the United States Sen
ate do not know. at least they do not
appreciate, the value and Importance of the
work Of the forestry bureau 1t has met
with strenuous opposition for perfectly nat
ural reasons The lumbermen and the
miners in the mountain states want timber.
and before the forest reserves were created
they were able to get it for nothing. More
timber has been stolen than has ever been
sold by the government. The timber thieves
are very thick out west. and the lumber
companies have been able to acquire vast
tracts of forest by the same methods that
the cattle and coal companies have used to
obtain government lands The procedure Is
very simple. They send out experts. known
as timber cruisers" to select tracts or
land where the best trees are standing.
Then their employees and men hired Tor the
purpose locate upon that particular land.
All the fees are paid by the company ana
the locations are assigned to them as soon
as it Is safe.
Large numbers of spectators in the west
are engaged in this kind of business, and
every measure that interferes with their
occupation. every law that protects tne m
terests of the government and withdraws
public lands from their reach Is naturally
very unpopular. That is the reason, and
practically the only reason. for the oppo-
sition to the forest reserve system wnicn
our government is now CARRYING out aiter
a plan that has been remarkable IN Ger
many and other European countries.
An Unfortunate Situation.
It is unfortunate that several senators
koIy
view and consider the general welfare Of
the country instead of the pecuniary inter-
ests of a few constituents, but it is natural
for them to sympathize with public senti-
ment IN their own states and resist what
they consider the entertainments of the gov
eminent upon private rights Not long
ago there was hot time in the senate com.
mittee on Indian affairs over the action Oh
the administration making forest reserve
of about 4GiO,OOO acres of splendid timber
land belonging to the Indians down in In
dian territory. number or enterprlsihs
gentlemen want that timber ana secretary
Hitchcock Secretary Wilson, Chief Fores-
ter Pinchot and other members OF the al
minstration are determined that they shaii
not have it. 1t is very valuable now II
will be ten times more valuable ten years
from now and twenty times more Valuaple
twenty wears from now. The enterprlSlls
citizens who want the land appealed to the
senator's from their states, who hauled up
Secretary Hitchcock and Secretary w hsoii
and tried to compel them to cancel the res
eryation order but did not succeed, and
that great forest will stand permanently as
reserve.
The forestry bureau is not only preserv-
ing and cultivating the standing forests on
government land but is beginning to plant
trees in different parts Of the west. 1t is
undertaking vast scheme OF creative Work
and will restore. SO Tar as possloie, t,e
timber that has been stripped from the
mountain sides, where are the sources OF
the streams that are needed to irrigate the
arid plains below. The bureau is working
in cooperation with the reclamation serf
ice and is also advising, encouraging and
assisting private individuals. railway cor
porations, lumber companies and others TO
reclothe the denuded hills.
Demand for Railway Ties.
The need of railway ties is good illus
tratjon of the Importance of its work. Every
tie in every track has to be renewed every
ten years. and it takes twenty years for
a Seeding to attain the size necessary to
make tie To supply these ties has
caused an enormous drain upon the forest
resources of the country, and they can last
but few years longer. 1t Will soon be-
come imperative to plant tree at each
end of every railway tie in every track OF
the country. In other words, two trees
must always be growing to keep one tie
permanently in the track, without consid-
ering the tens of thousands of miles of new
tracks to be tied: and the forestry service
is assisting and encouraging the railway
companies to plant timber suitable for ties
on the waste land along their rights of
way 1t is also teaching railway builders
different methods of preservation, SO that
the life of the ties may be extended. This
is only one of the economical functions of
the service; and in the saving of waste in
railway ties alone it has already enriched
the country by millions of dollars and has
>of1 HOG
The Pennsylvania railroad has probably
done more than any other line in the way
of tree planting. / wrote letter-about
it's enterprises several months ago. 1t is
the only company which has thus far done
any great planting, but 1t intends to pro-
duce along its right of way the ties that
will be needed in the future on its lines in
Pennsylvania.
Ten other railroad companies have adopt
ed 4 similar policy, and are beginning to
carry it out. The Baltimore and Ohio. New
York Central, Long Island. Santa Fe, IL
linois Central and Union Pacific have en-
ployed expert foresters to plant trees suit
able for ties. Several coal companies in
western Pennsylvania have also undertaken
to cover their waste land with forests. The
Johnstown Water Company in Pennsyl-
vania, the Bridgeport Hydraulic aud the
East Hartford Fire District of Connecticut
have planted trees to protect the sources
of their water supply, preliminary surveys
have been made for protecting the water
systems of a dozen or more cities. the gov
eminent has made plans for raising forests
upon Fort Bayard, Fort Riley and Fort
Stanton military reservations and plans
have been furnished large landowners, cor
porations and private individuals for plant
ing 212.66O acres during the current year.
This is only one branch of the work Of the
forestry bureau
Need Of Forests Realized.
The earnest need for the restoration of
denuded forests on the watersheds in the
west and south and of planting trees upon
the semi-arid plains is beginning to be re-
allied by the public. and societies are being
organized to promote the movement. These
associations are receiving the most cordial
cooperation from the forestry bureau. 1t
Is starting nurseries in different points of
the west so that it will be able to furnish
them seedlings. This year 1t will have about
100000 and in year or two 100000
young trees to be transplanted. New
nurseries are being started rapidly as
Congress will furnish the funds. Agents
of the forestry bureau are constantly NOV
ing about the west selecting sites for small
nurseries on the different reserves and in
structing the rangers how to plant and take
care of young trees. This is a very inn
portant part of the work. Last year the
Improvement Society of Helena, Mont, set