The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-05-29

National forests are objected to by
a great many people. who claim that
as soon as a forest becomes national
the industry of the region is check
ed, resources locked up, settlement
prohibited and future growth made al
most impossible. This decision IS
given when the real facts concern
ing them are not known. Some claim
that they withdraw land from taxa
ton, and if they were left to pass into
private hands there would be more
taxable property for the support Of
schools. The government paws no
taxes, but it pays those counties III
which the forests are located ten per
cent. of all the receipts from the sale
OF timber. Taxes from private lands
are temporary returns, because after
the timber is used they are generally
left to burn up and become vacant
and barren, and are quite valueless
for taxation. In 1906 the national for
ests paid the country school and
road funds over $4,000, and this
amount will be greatly increased each
year.
Mr. Humphrey of Mississippi says
there are only three sources from
which the national wealth is drawn.
and they are the soil, the forests and
the mines. To produce this wealth
the soil must be made productive and
the forest lands must be managed so
as to produce a valuable crop each
year. There are records where for
ests as large as the state of Rhode
Island have been destroyed i'm a few
days by fire. This means a loss Of
millions and millions of dollars. The
depends entirely upon
the interest taken by the citizens. The
evolution of this time changes all
things, and every condition should be
analysed, and a problem solved that
will bring the most good upon the
whole country. Important as is the
wood aspect of this question, the wa
ter aspect Is more important. Ii has
not yet been proven that forests in.
crease the rainfall, but if they are de-
strOyed, drOuths and likewise floods
follow. Water runs down a barren.
hard surface with a rush, all at once.
1t runs down a spOngy, soft surface
much more slowly, little by little, and
the forest acts like a big sponge. II
sOaks up the water, checks it from
down all at once, and brings
about an even flow during the whole
season. Where the slopes are bare
and the soil unprotected, the waters
carry down with them great quanti-
ties of soil, gradually filling up the
reservoirs and canals and causing i'm
mense damage to the irrigation sys-
TEN.
New England, destitute of mines
and precious metals, and practically
agriculture, depends upon its
forests, streams and manufactures.
The latter grew up because of the wa
ter power, and these water powers
are dependent upon the uniform flow
Of the streams. Cutting the forests
seriously impairs the evenness of the
stream flow, causing floods AMI
irOuths, and thereby threatening the
we'll being, if not the very lives, IF
whole communities.
The utility OF water-pOwer in the
south has been greatly increased for
electricity, consequent
-y electricity has become the power
behind the south"
The secretary of the American For
estry Association says that for the
utilization of this power the forest, as
4 balance wheel to stream-fOw, is alb
5Olutely indispensable. No system of |
however expensive, can
more than supplement the forest, and
n no way can it supply the forests
place In both New England and the
south, forest cutting has already Sc
'iously impaired the usefulness of
water power Millions Of dollars OF |
government money is thrown away in /
out detritus. which should
nave been kept, through forests, in
position upon the sides of mountains !
and in valleys, The best part of the !
soil is carried toward the sea. If this
condition continues unchecked the re-
sources Of the government will soon
be insufficient to the task of keeping |
channels and reservoirs clear.
J. COrrigan, Jr., says: by employ /
ng the forces Of nature the task can
De accomplished, and instead of ap- |
money to clear out OBJ I
5tructions in streams and deepen
channels, the government should |
spend money in such a way that the
streams would not fill up
The classification of the different !
moods rbC.v,-r t0vr- -v,.ari,,o, hoo boov I