Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-03-19
REAL VALUE
OF FORESTRY
Practical Good That Has Been Accom-
pIIShed in This and Other
Countries.
WASHINGTON, March

that forestry had never been tried
until the government began 10
practice il upon the national Tor
ests. Yet forestry is practiced by
every civilized country in the world
except China and Turkey. 1t gets
results which can be got in no
other way and which are necessary
to the gener al welfare
What forestry has done abroad
is the strongest proof OF what IL
can accomplish here. The remark
able success of forest management
in the civilized countries OF Europe
and Asia is the most forcible argu-
ment that can be brought in support
of the wise forest use in the United
States.
The more advanced and progress
I'VE countries arrive first and go
farthest in forestry. as they DO in
other things. indeed, we might
almost take forestry as a yardstick
with which to measure the height
of civilization. On the one hand, the
nations who follow forestry most
widely and Systematically would
be found to be the most enlightened
nations. On the other hand when
we applied the yardstick to such
countries as are without forestry,
we would say with good deal OF
assurance by this test alone, Here
is a backward nation.
The countries of Europe and
Asia, taken together, have passed
through all the stages of forest his
tory and applied all the known
principles of forestry. They are
rich in forest experience. The les
sons of forestry were brought home
TO them by hard knocks. Their
forest systems were built up grad
ually as the result of hardship.
They did not first spin fine theories
and then apply the theories by
main force. On the contrary, they
began by facing disagreeaole facts
Every step of the way toward the
wise forest use, the world over, has
been made at the sharp spur o.
want, suffering and loss. AS re-
suit. the science of forestry is ONT
of the most practical and useful o
all sciences. 1t is serious work
undertaken as measure OF relief
and continued as safeguard
against future. calamity.
The United States, then, in at
lacking the problem OF how best 4
use its great forest resources, is no
in the position of pioneer in tn
field. 1t has the experience OF al
the other countries to go upon
There is no need for years OF ex
pertinent with untried theories
The forest principles which hun
dreds of years of pract cal expei
cnce have proved to be right, are a
its command. The only question si
how should these be modified o
extended to best meet America
conditions. In the management c
the national forests the governmer
is not working in the dark. Nor
it slavishly copying European me
thods. 1t is putting into practic
in America, and for American:
principles tried and found correct
which will insure to all Il c peopl
alike the fullest and best Use of a
forest resources.
Take the case of Germany. Star
ing with forests that were in bs
shape as many of our own whic
have been recklessly cut over,
raised the average yield of wood p,
acre from 20 cubic feet in 1880
65 cubic feet in 1904. During Il
same time it trebled the proportiC
of saw timber got from the avera,
cut, which means, in other word
that through the practice of forests
the timberlands of Germany a
three times better quality toda
than when no system was used. Al
in So years it increased the mon
returns from an average acre of fc
est sevenfold.
In France forestry has decreas
the danger from floods, viii
threaten to destroy vast areas of fs
til farms, nd in so doing it h
added many millions of dollars
the national wealth in forests.
has removed the danger from sa
dunes and in their place has Great
property worth many millions
dollars. Applied to the state fores
which are small in comparis
with the national forest of Il
country, it causes them 10 yield
net revenue of more than 50, 20
600, though the sum spent on es