Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-07-29
for by the teachers and scholars of the

Prot. Jones also spoke upon some
phases of forestry. He called atten-
ton to the fact that three-ffths Of
Vermont is woodland, that four-fifths
of the cleared land is grass land, and
that over 80 per cent of it's acreage is
growing grasses or trees. Moreover
grass and tree culture problems are the
most pertinent, and least fully solved
of the rural problems. The solution of
each must be largely matter Of time
and education. begun with the school
children.
The superintendent and rural
school teachers can do much to better
forestry conditions in Vermont by
teaching the children to recognize the
different trees and their values and
to appreciate the worth. to the state
and to individuals, Of timber lands.
These have their value for aesthetic
purposes, for water conservation, for
soil protection and for timber supply.
The rural and other schools may be-
come centers of education in growing
and caring for shade trees and forest
trees. Attention was directed to the
fact that bulletins have recently been
published for free distribution relating
to the white pine and to the planting
and care of shade trees.
From 80 to so kinds of trees are to
be found near each school. Children
may well make collections of the
leaves Of each kind, which, properly
pressed and labeled, could ornament
the walls and form the subjects of win
ter lessons and composition.
The relations of Vermonters to the
forest may be classified under four pc
RODS. First, the pioneer period when
trees were looked upon as enemies. to
be destroyed before home could be
built Then came the period of the
hill farmer, who moved the pasture,
spruce and pine much as he cleaned the
grass from the corn field. Young con-
tiers were looked upon as weeds and
even to-day are so regarded by too
many hill farmers. Yet the most
profitable thing that can be done with
many pastures overgrown with brakes
and bareback is not only to permit
but to encourage natural reforestation
and to supplement this process by ar
tificial planting. The third period was
that of the lumberman when the tree
became an asset, land owners vying
with each other as to who could strip
his woodland fastest; the old trees for
saw logs, the young trees for pulp.
We are now coming to the fourth peri
cd when trees are regarded as crop,
the period of the forester. The lum-
herman seeks only the saw logs, the for
ester harvests this but aims so to do it
as, to perpetuate and not destroy the
forest. Under proper management the
forest crop may be maintained and i'm
proved generation by generation.
Intelligent methods in forestry are
coming to stay because they pay. Yer
mont waste lands are capable of grow
ing timber crops of the highest value.
She has and will produce the best
white pine, spruce and hard woods like
white ash. A case was cited of Sec
ond growth white pine yielding $500
per acre on the stump and retailing
from the mill at 5000. While this is
exceptional it is practicable unde,
proper methods to duplicate this result
on extensive areas. When this time
comes Vermont will pass from the
ranks of the relatively poor to those Of
the relatively wealthy states, acre fol
acre. The important thing to haster
this day is to create the right senti
ment toward the tree. to promote
proper appreciation of the relative
Importance of timber lands and to in
culcate correct methods in reforesta
ton.
A plan was then outlined whereof.
the superintendent may secure seed
and seedlings from the state nurser.
: which may be used in establis HIM
school gardens. Children planting an
caring for such will learn to appreciat
their value as in no other way, ca
transplant them to ornament tn
grounds, to line the roadsides or t
start little forestry plantations of thei
own. Working thus an important cor
tribution may be made not merely t
> the personal wealth of the individus
but to that of the community and tn
state,
Prof. c.. L. Beach discussed 18th
individuality of the Cow" He gather
:, ed his audience at the college farl
!, barns and illustrated his remarks b
-, reference to charts and to living an
mails led out before the gathering
He said in part that the ability to uti
y ize food proftably into milk and butte
~ varies with individuals. Among bot