The Topeka state journal., 1908-12-26
MAY HAVE TREES.
Clifford PinchOt, {. s. Forester,
on Christmas Custom.
Refuses to Interfere in Interest
of EyergreenS.
THEY ARE FOR USE.
Number Used Amounts to Almost
Nothing.
Could All Be Grown OH 1900
Acres.
THEY ARE FOR USE

Washington. Dec. 26-The country S
forests again have been called upon to
supply about four million Christmas
trees. and again many persons have
asked themselves and have queried the
United States forest service, rs the
custom a menace to the movement for
forest preservation"
In the millions of happy home over
the country where the younger genera
ton has made the Christmas tree the
center of play since early Friday morn
ing. there are many mothers and faith
ers who have given the question more
or less thought. From Sunday schools
and other organizations also, which
hold an annual celebration around a
gayly trimmed evergreen for the bene-
fit of the little ones, has come the
question whether it is consistent to
urge conservation of forest resources
and then to cut millions of young trees
every year to afford a little JOY In the
passing holiday season.
Yes, it is consistent and proper that
the custom should be maintained, mas
been the answer of United states FOR
ester Clifford Pinchot in every case.
Trees are for use, and there is no other
use to which they could be put which
would contribute so much to the JOY OF
man as their use by the children on
THE number of trees cut for this use
each year is utterly insignificant when
compared to the consumption Tor other
purposes for which timber is demand
ed Not more than four million Christ
mas trees are used each year. one IN
every fourth family. If planted four
feet apart they could be grown on less
than 1900 acres. This clearing of an
area equal to a good sized farm eacn
Christmas should not be subject OF
much worry when it is remembered
that for lumber alone 1t is necessary to
take timber from an area or more thah
100000 acres every day of the year
cit is true that there has been Sc
rious damage to forest growth in the
cutting of Christmas trees in various
sections of the country, particularly
I'm the Adirondacks and parts of New
England but in these very sections the
damage through the cutting of young
evergreens for use at Christmas is in
finitesima1 when compared with the
loss of forest resources through fires
and careless methods of numbering.
The proper remedy is not to stop using
trees but to adopt wiser methods of
sit is generally realized that a Ger
tain proportion of land must always be
used for forest growth, just as for
other crops. Christmas trees are one
form Of this crop. There is no more
reason for an outcry against using land
to grow Christmas trees than to grow
flowers
The forest service upholds the
Christmas tree custom, but recognizes
at the same time, that the indiscrimi-
nate cutting of evergreens to supply
the holiday trade has produced a bad
effect upon many stands of mer-
chantable kinds of trees in different
sections of the country. Waste and
destruction usually result when wood
lands are not under a proper system of
forest management. Foresters say
that 1t is not by denying ourselves the
wholesome pleasure of having a bit
of nature in the home at Christmas
that the problem of conserving the
forests Will be solved. but by learning
how to use the forests wisely and
properly. The ravages through forest