Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

interests of it's people: that the forests
which regulate our rivers. support our In
dustries and promote the fertility and pro-
ductiveness of the soil should be pre-
served and perpetuated: that the minerals
found so abundantly beneath the surface
should be so used as to prolong their util-
ity: that the beauty, heaithfulness ana
ha bit ability of our country should be In
creased: that sources Of natural wealth
exist for the benefit of the people. and
that monopoly thereof should not be toll
Grated"
June s. 1903 the President appointed
the national conservation commission.
which was organized in four sections. to
consider the four great classes-water re-
sources. forest resources. resources of the
land and mineral resources. The mem
bers of the inland waterways commission
constituted the section of waters.
X =
IT is premature to forecast the remedies
which the conservation commission will
propose as the result of
Remedies It's present conference
r,fr.r,.d Tuesday last for exam
pie. it discussed the ques-
ton OF forests. Reforestation would do
something to help the case, but inasmuch
as twenty to thirty years were required
for tree when planted to mature. the
country must necessarily be short Of
wood. The dilemma. 1t was asserted. was
great because there was no remedy in i'm
portation, nor was there substitute for
wood.
The manufacture OF paper from wood
has been great industry, but the forest
service has been working to find A sub
stitute and is actually experimenting
with small mill in making paper from
two grades of corn stalks The outer
Dart of the stalk tho
makes parchment like paper. and the
interior a paper that may be bieached
and made satisfactory for printing. The
cost of making it up is about the same as
making paper from wood pulp. The corn
stalk-the despised corn stalk. let us
think. will realize the hopes OF the COM
mission Paper from wood pulp has
never been great success and its disap-
pearance from the stage would be gladly
welcomed by the printer. the publisher
the writer and wrapper of parcels, by
whom ii is severely condemned
Mr.. Cleveland has compiled a vaIuabl
report upon What Forestry Has Done
In the countries of Europe and Asia, and
says:
Many people in this country think
the government began to practice it upon
the national forests. Yet forestry is
practiced by every civilized country in
the world except China and Turkey.
Vii TIC ouc lldHu IldtlOnS WHICH follow
forestry most widely and systematically
would be found to be the most enlight-
ened nations. A singular and suggestive
exception is England. which, though pro-
vided with mountains and heath lands.
has with strange Indifference been leading
all nations in volume of wood imports
and depending mainly upon foreign
sources for her supplies.
Germany felt the pinch of wood short
age one hundred and fifty years ago. and
although the railroads
Iermanys opened up new avenues,
Measures relieved by use of coal.
Germany needed the
warning and systematic state forestry
was adopted. The method of manage
ment pursued called for sustained yield
Tthat is. more wood is cut than the for
est produces. Under this management the
growth of the forest and consequently
the amount cut has risen sharply In
1880 the yield was twenty cubic feet per
acre; in 1855. twenty-four cubic feet: in
1880, hfty-tWo cubic feet, and in 1904,
sixty-fiVe cubic feet. In other words,
Prussian forest management has multi
piled the rate of production threefold in
seventy-five years.
Notwithstanding the general outcry
against waste in forestry in France, it
appears the laws of conservation have
restored 100000 acres of forest land
rescued from ruin by reforest ration.
Two million acres of shifting sands and
marshes in the Ladies have been trans
formed from worthless waste to a profit
able forest valued a 500, 900. 900.
France and Germany have together a.
population of 1O0000.O0O against So, 900, 80
in the United States. and state forests of
IA 800 600 acres. against 160OOO.OOO acres
of American national forests. but .ance
and Germany spend on their forests
$1,000 OOO a year. and get from them
in net returns $4,000 900, while the
United States spent on the national for
ests last year $I.4O0.OoO and secured a
net return of less than $4,000,
China, most wise in many things, is
not so in forestry. China has been
stripped of all vegetation. and err hills
are as bare as the back of u boiled fowl
a want of wood creates a want of water
and and the ruin of the soil is threatened.
Even irrigation compels the immense
labor Of drawing water from wells
In word. concludes Mr.. Cleveland
the Chinese by forest waste have brought
upon themselves two
chinese costly calamities-foods
ca1am;+;e. and water famine. The
forest school It Mukden,
just opened shows that China has awak-
ened to the necessity of reforestation.
Japan has - per cent of its total area
under forests. The state owns SIS per
cent, although more timber is imported
than is exported. Japan exports nearly
81. go COO worth of wood and $3.50 600
worth of matches.
When the feudal system of the ShogIns
was replaced in 1868 by the mikado there
was raid upon the forests which suffer
ed greatly. but in 1852 forest laws were
drafted and the general Jaw OF 1897 adopt
ed. Under this law the state forests are
administered and the cutting of all forests
regulated. Private forests are under gov
tect mountain slopes they cannot he cut
without permission.
M. dc Kirwan. inspector of forests i'm
France. is the author of a series of arti-
cles in lie Correspondent on "Deforesta-
ton. In one of these that of October 10
he signals the formation of q group in the
chamber of deputies 10 defend the forest
interests of France. In that connection
also the formation of a commission (or-
ganized February ~ 1909 for the con-
servation of certain forests. their refor-
estation. pasturage. etc.
This commission under the leadership of
minister is composed of thirty-nine
members. all of whom familiar with
the conservation of water. forests, etc
And NJ. de kirwan cites M. Paul Leroy
Beaulieu. who would cause TO be employ
ed for the creation of forests. for their ex-
ploitation and conservation. certain unem-