The Elbert County tribune., 1908-08-20

MZ1ED SELNN0 NRNl77I


The region in Ohio under considera-
tion constitutes a belt through what
was at one time probably the finest
hardwood forest in the United States
Here grew. in high degree of per-
fection. white and red oak, walnut,
hickory, maple, elm. beech. locust,
sycamore. wild cherry, cottonwood,
poplar. Kentucky coffee-tree and chest
nut, not to mention several less valu-
able kinds of trees. The quality of
this timber was the very finest
throughout the entire belt.
AS in every timber country. the first
work of the pioneers in this region was
to clear sufficient land In the forest to
raise the necessary crops. Much of
the finest timber was "deadened," or
girdled, and when, after two or three
seasons 1t had dried sufficiently, 1t
was felled in great heaps and burned.
Only the straightest most perfect
sticks of walnut and oak were used in
building the log houses and barns. The
sterling quality of this timber is mani
fest in the remarkably well preserved
log structures still standing In consid-
cradle numbers throughout the region
The roofs of these buildings were made
of clapboards, rived with frow and bee
tie from only the finest sticks of oak,
and 1t was not uncommon for such a
roof to last for 40 years or more
During the first half of the last GEN.
tury there was large demand for tan
bark to supply the needs Of the grow
ing leather industries of Cincinnati
and the neighboring towns. To meet
this demand. the oak timber was ruth
lessly slaughtered over an area of 75
to 100 miles radius. The fine logs,
then useless, were piled together and
burned. These old-time log-rollings,
with their attendant barbecues, were
the festival occasions of the frontier
communities.
To the early settlers these forests
constituted the arch enemy, to be driv-
en- back and destroyed by ak and fire.
Little did these men think of the value
of the forests. To them it meant only
a fight for life and success against
the forces and conditions of nature.
Unfortunately. this instinct for timber
destruction, born of necessity among
the pioneers, has developed among
their descendants into a blind, un-
reasoning mania. One prominent land
owner and stockman of Drake county
recently expressed the view that "the
country would be better off without a
timber tree standing in it," This is
no doubt an extreme case, but there
is certainly very little sentiment in
the region in favor Of forest preserva-
tion or renewal The inevitable result
of such an attitude on the part of the
people is being reached at rapid
rate. Over most of the region the
flrst-class timber disappeared several
years ago, and the second and third
class supply is rapidly following.
Immense damage to the timber of
this region has resulted from too close
pasture of the woodlands. The writer
had an opportunity to keep under OBJ
servation for several years a tract of
fine oak timber in which were kept
large numbers of hogs. The soil was
constantly overturned by the hogs. and
many of the smaller roots of the trees
were exposed and destroyed. After a
few years the trees began to die at the
tops, and the owner was obliged to sell
the timber for only fraction of what
1t would have been worth at the pres
ent time II 1t had been more carefully
preserved. Close .pasturing by cattle
and sheep has proved equally destruc
tive in many cases.
While the general relation of eli
mate to forests is yet mooted ques
tion, 1t seems fairly well established
that, in the region under consideration
local "blizzards" are more frequent and
more severe. while the summer winds
are more often dry than they were Q
generation ago Spring floods and
summer droughts, formerly quite un
known. are growing more common
Many of the hills, denuded Of their for
ests and later of their soil, are now
quite barren. Throughout the region
the growing of fruit orchards is becom
| ing constantly more difficult This Is