The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1908-10-02
Forester.

the Yearbook of the Department
If Agriculture for 1907, forestry
has advanced in this country from
an almost unknown science to a
useful growing profession. In that
time the number cf technically
trained foresters has increased from
less than a dozen 10 over 400. Ten
years ago there was not a single
forest school in the country; now
there are several professional forest
schools which rank with those Of
Europe, and score more with
courses elementary forestry whose
usefulness is steadily growing
Forest lands under management
have grown from one or two tracts
to many, aggregating Z. SOB, 600
acres, scattered through 50 States.
The National Forest have increased
from $1,000, 900 acres, practically
unused and unprotected, to 1885,
900, 600 acres, used guarded, and
improved in prOductiveness and
accessibility. The mum Der OF
States which have State forests has
increased from to 10; and OF
those of which employ trained
foresters from none To II. The
mem bership Of forest associations
has increased from $500 to ID, 800.
Ten years ago, except for a few of
the foremost botanists, European
foresters knew more about Ameri-
can forest than the people of this
country. In Europe they were
then using preservatives to prolong
the service Of ties, and SO adding
from twenty to forty years to their
life. Here, on the other hand,
scarcely treated tie had been laid.
there are now 90 treating plants, y
of which treat ties exclusively, and
an engineer who recently returned
from Europe reports that both in
size and mechanical perfection the
treating equipment of this country
is ahead of any found abroad.
And yet American forestry has
only safely passed the experiment
tai stage and got ready to do some
thing. Action, immediate and
vigorous, must be taken if the
inevitable famine of wood supplies
ia to be lessened. We are now us
ing as much wood in a single year
as grows in three, with only twenty
years supply of virgin growth IN
sight. Only the application OF
forest knowledge with wisdom,
method, and energy, in the next
ten years, can prevent the straving
of National industries for lack of
wood
THE SOUTH PRODUCES STRONGEST
STRUCTURAL TIMBER.
Recent tests on structural tim
beers, loblolly, longleaf, and Nor
way pines, and tamarack, for the
eastern United States, and Douglas
fir and western hemlock for the
western, have shown longleaf pine
to be the strongest and stiffest of
the timber mentioned, with Doug |
las fir a close second, while western
hemlock, loblolly pine, tamarack,
and Norway pine follow in the or
der given. Fortunately. Douglas fir
and western hemlock, of which /
there are comparatively large sup |
plies, have high structural merit, /
as has also loblolly pine, the princi- |
pal tree in the operations of the |
southern lumber companies, which !
are beginning to look upon their |
capital from which successive crops I
should be secured.
"Plans have been made for |
Florida tract, which envolve the |
most extensive replanting ever be
gun in the South. The lands,
situated in Marion and Citrus coun-
ties, include 5000 acres of sandy
brush and grass covered land,
which it will be necessary to re-
stock by artificial means. Long
leaf pine seed viii be sown in spots
as a means of accomplishing this.
FORESTRY IN THE STATES.
Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri.
and Mississippi are better acquain
ted with their forest resources by
reasons of forest surveys conducted
in operation with the Forest Service.
Taxation, now the most ditheult
problem in State forest work, is
receiving thoughtful attention.
During the year the State of
Alabama created a forest commits |
sion, which has been organized and |
has begun work. OF especial i'm
portance is the clause which pro-
vides for exemption from taxation |
for ten years of small areas which |
bear young and growing stand of
timber, provided the land is protec- |
ted from forest frs. Bulletin 1, |
Forestry and Forest Preservation
in Alabama has already been ISIS /
ued by the commission.
''Georgia's interest in forestry is
manifest in the advancement of the
course in forestry in the State uni
versity to a department, and in
systematic educational work by the
newly formed State forest associa
ton, which issues a publication,
Southern Woodlands. The re-
suit of study of Georgia's forest
resources, with maps. has been
published.
During the past year forest
work in North Carolina has been
confined to the swamp lands near
the coast. which are owned by the
State board of education. After an
examination most of these forest
lands were Withdrawn from sale
until it could be definitely deter E
mined whether it is better to sell
II