The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-21
INTEREST IN FonEsrRY.

The attention now being paid to the sub jeets of forest preservation and re- forestation is something remarkable. That it is to some extent case of waking up when 1t Is too late is un- fortunately only too true. Could such a feeling as now almost universally pre- vsils in this country have been devel- oped even but century ago. the lum- Der and timber conditions would have been far different from what they are now. In the early settlement of any new section of the American continent the paramount object in the opinion of the settler was to get the trees out of his way. What of them were not need ed for some farm or domestic use, were cut down and consigned to the flames, and thus millions upon millions of the finest timber trees on this continent were destroyed forever.
 Perhaps we should not too severely condemn the pioneers of the new coun- try. for to them the forest wealth seemed without limit. They could not foresee or even imagine the vast in- crease in population that their descend ants would witness in a century, nor could their minds grasp the future suf- fciently to form the faintest idea of both the scarcity and the demand that would be occasioned by the reckless forest destruction that Is now going on. It is also true that these settlers were compelled to get rid of the trees in order to grow their crops, but we care might have been exercised and much waste avoided by a proper course. And we can now see and understand how the wornout and waste lands might have been planted with the seeds or young trees of good varieties of timber and thus have made some pro- vision for the future.
 Perhaps it is needless now to be crit icising the a;ts of our ancestors in this matter. The evil was done, and now the best thing to do is to endeavor in all possible Eays to make up for the short-sishtedness of the pioneers and as far as is humanly possible make good at least a part of the loss by re- foresting the waste places and thus to some degree provide against a timber famine all over this great country. Saving the little that is left in so far as that is possible. is duty. but pro- viding a new supply for the future is equally so. The good farmer saves the crop he has made and at the proper time plants the seed for another. and it has been amply demonstrated that trees can be profitably grown in all most any section of the United States by going at 1t in the right way.
 Some of the big railroads are plant ing all spare land along their tracks with catalpa. mulberry and other quick growing trees in order to supply eross-ties for the future. and are hav- ing encouraging success. The exam- pie may be followed elsewhere, not only by other railroads. but by gov ernments and private individuals. so that the future may not be an entirely treeless age. The interest now being displayed by the National Government, though much too long delayed. is com mendable. and but for factious oppo- sition in Congress. laws could be en- acted which would save much of the timber yet remaining. The powers of the Government may be limited in this matter. as some insist. but whatever can be constitutionally done should not be neglected. Those who come after us will want timber. as we'll as ourselves.