The Washington herald., 1908-01-28

than $4,000 barrels Of tanning extract
worth SS,700o00. Though the tanning In
dustry IS widely distributed, at the pres
ent rate Of consumption the center Of
production must soon shift TO the South
eTn Appalachians. where hemlock, oak,
and chestnut are 10 be had and where
wasteful numbering has so far been unre-
stTicted. The ultimate results can be seen.
At Canton, near Asheyille, the largest
paper pulp mill in the world has recently
been erected. and this. as well as Others,
must be fed from the forests that have
made THE Land of the Sky famous for
many years.
The forest service has already demon
strated by its management OF the ma
servation Of the forest resources of the
Appalachians might do for that region.
In tuFpent!ne forests, where the old-time
plan Of boxing killed a tree in a few
years. they have demonstrated new
method Of extracting the sap, leaving the
trees uninjured and increasing the yield
% per cent. Further interest in the Ap-
palachians is shown IN the fact that the
senior class Of the Yale Forest School viii
spend its spring term OF practical field
work in Coosa County. Ala. making a
topographic map Of the tract OF big
lumber firm. estimating the amount OF
standing timber and preparing a working
plan for the tract.
Senator Newlauds in his inland water
ways commission BILL" provides for the
study Of 'the clarifeation Of streams.
utilization Of water power, prevention OF
soil waste. protection Of forests, regula-
ton of flow, control Of foods" &c, show
ing the recognition that must be given
the forests when the improvement of in
land waterways is 10 be considered. The
sources OF all the navigable streams lie
in the hills and mountains among forests.
So long as the forests stand the rainfall
is conserved in the mold. the MOSES, the
litter. and the roots When the forests
have been cut away, when the leaves and
mold are no longer there, the rains wash
down the soil in great quantities into the
valleys below. to lessen the depth OF the
streams, 20 build distractions in the cur
rent. costing the nation millions of dol
lars for dredging out the channels, or
losing ti!a- much in restricted commerce
on its waterways. All the water which
falls in the Southern Appalachian and
White Mountains flows 20 the sea through
navigabie Fivers. which It has cost the
government. up 10 this time, so, geo 90 10
keep clear,
The American Cotton Manufacturers
Association at its Philadelphia meeting
last May passed resolutions asking the
creation OF the Appalachian and White
Mountain Forest Reserve, pointing out
how the floods rushing down from de-
nuded hills filled the streams with silt
washed away expensive dams, and
wrought irreparable ruin TO wide tracts
Of agricultural country. They pointed out
that their electric power supply is de
pendent on these streams, and that a
waste Of the water means a waste Of
millions of dollars in power that might
otherwise be conserved. The plateau of
the Appalachians i00.009 square miles In
size. receives about the heaviest rainfall
in the United States. Its annual rain
fall would make a lake four feet deep
considerably larger than the State Of
Vermont This means an electric power
equal TO 3000 600 or 40O0, COO horsepower
when properly conserved. an annual earn
ing to the Southern manufacturers of
$50 go 000, and a saving in coal bills alone
of from fifteen TO twenty million dollars.
In New England there is a factory at
almost every point on a river where there
is fall of ten feet From the White
Mountains flow the Connecticut, Merri-
mae. Saco. and AndrOscoggin, giving
power 10 factories whose contributions to
commerce are measured IN millions Of
dollars.
Conseryors Of forests have many illus
tralions of what criminal negligence in
the lire of their work has brought There
is in Michigan one-sixth of whose lands
are for sale for delinquent taxes, 5000. 000
acres that have been cut over and burned,
and then thrown aside for newer fields.
The State Forestry Association is under
taking the heFeulean task Of reforesting
This region was once the soft-woed CEN
ter Of the country. Texas has passed her
zenith in this respect, Arkansas, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana are at the height of
their productiveness, and the Appalachians
are already paying heavy toll to the
makers of the things of wood that mod
| ern civilization and industry demand that
we should have.
Last year Congress appropriated SIS 600
for the use OF the Secretary OF Agrieul-
ture in making an investigation OF the
Appalachian region. Experts were sent
from the Forest Service. and the Water
Resources Branch Of the Geological Sur
vey and n complete and comprehensive
report was the result of their work. A
party of Congressman also went down
at their own expense and made personal
studies Of the great forests that are ask
| ing their protection. Just what effect all
| this viii have on the passing Of the bill
| remains to be seen. At least, with the
| American Forest Association so deeply
interested, something good must result.
To-morrow-The birthday OF Kan
| sas.
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