Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-12-31

schoo' s and other organizations also,
which hold an annual celebration
around gayly trimmed evergreen for
the benefit of the little ones, has come
the question whether it is consistent
to urge conservation of forest re-
sources and then to cut millions of
young trees every year to afford a
little joy in the passing holiday sea-
son.
''Yes, it is consistent and proper
that the custom should be main
tained," has been the answer of
United States Forester Clifford Pin
chot in every case. ''Tre; are for
use, and there is no other use 10
which they could be put which would
Contribute so much to the joy of man
as their use by the children on this
one great holiday If the year.
The number of tie, cut for this
use each year is utterly insignificant
when compared to the consumption
for other purposes for which timber is
demandt d. Not more than four mil
lion thrStmaS trees are used each
year, one in every fourth family. If
planted four feet apart they could be
grown on less than 1,5OO acres This
clearing OF an area equal to good
sized farm each Christmas should not
be a subject Of much worry, when it
is remembered that for lumber a zone
it is necessary to take timber from an
area of more than 100000 acres every
day of the year,
sit is true that there has been
serious damage to forest growth in
the Gu ting of Christmas trees in vari-
Gus sections of the Country. particu-
larly in the Adirondacks and parts of
New England, but in these very sec
tiUns the damage through the cutting
of young evergreenS for use at Christ
mas is intnitesimal 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 use
at is generally realized that 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 indis-
criminate cutting OF evelgreens to
supply the holiday trade hgs produced
bad effect upon many stands of
merchantahle kinds of trees in diff
ferent sections of the country. Waste
and destruction usually result when
woodlands are not under a proper sys-
tenn of forest management. Foresters
say that it is not by denying ourselves
the wholesome leaSure Of having
bit of nature in the home at Christ
mas that the problem of conversing
the forests will be solved, but by
learning how to US the forests wisely
and properly. The ravages through
forest fires must re checked, the many
avenues of waste of timber in it's
travel from the WDO1S to the mill and
thence to the market must be closed.
and almost numberless important
problems demand attention before
the Christmas tree
Germany is conceded to have the
highest developed system of forest
management of any country yet its
per capita use of Christmas trees is
greatest. The cutting of small trees
for Chsistmas is not there considered
in the least as menace to the forest,
but, ON the contrary, as a means of
the forest by thinning and
as source of revenue. It is there
fore constantly encouraged.
There is little doubt but that the
time will come when the Christmas
tree business will become a recognized
industry in this country, and that as
much attention will be given to it as
will be given to the growing of crops
of timber for other uses. This time
may not be far off, for it is already
understood that only through the
practice of forestry, which means
both the conservation of the timber
which remains and carefully planned
systems Of reforestation, will it be
possible to supply the country with its
forty billion feet of lumber needed
each year, as we'll as the few million
little trees used ct Christmas time.