The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-02-28

and crossed the Mississippi and still
the prairie beloved westward beyond
the horizon. The Rocky mountains
were crossed and the new empire of
the west was founded. Waste, ex-
travagance and recklessness have
marked the advance of the American
pioneer. Our resources seemed so
boundless-our trees were in. the
way.
1t Is disastrous heritage they left
us. 1t will require generation of
the work such as the forestry associa-
ton is doing, to correct a prenatal i'm
pulse to hack down trees. Today we
observe the granite hills of New Eng
land abandoned by hardy cultivators
of the wooden nutmegs; Ohio, In
diana and Illinois fast becoming popu-
lated with tenant farmers. The farm
|ers of Kentucky and Tennessee are de-
sorting for the new lands of the south
west. They can't raise corn-fed cat
tie on 500 an acre farms, to COM
pete with the cattle that find their
own living on the free ranges. A
man can't raise fifty acres of wheat
to compete with the men. who raise
Thousands of acres on 81 land They
know nothing of crop rotation, scien'
tifc agriculture and the chemistry OF
soil, nor do they seem to realize that
the growing cities offer a market for
other products they can raise in
abundance. 1t is ever for the wide
country, the cheap land and the waste
full habits of their forefathers.
This is suggested to disabuse any
ones mind of the idea that the for
estry movement is merely a method
of encompassing the punishment OF
fraudulent land grabbers. The rail
roads In the northwest, the paper
trust in Maine and the turpentine
trust in Georgia are doing just what
every farmer does when he finds a
tree in his way.
1t is not to revenge wrongs done
the state. nor is it designed to store
Iup the standing forests against day
of famine as Joseph did with the
grain in Egypt. 1t is rather the con-
serving of our natural resources and
the increasing of our capacity in order
that we may be able to enjoy the fun
measure OF that greater prosperity OF
which the future holds forth golden
promises.
We have presented to us by the in
Hand waterways commissions preliml.
mary report, the correlated policies OF
government, which combine the most
commonplace business like manage
ment of our internal affairs with
statecraft of the highest order. Tn.
development of market for our
wares in South America and in Asia
is the work of the state department
with its attendant delicate questions
of international diplomacy, and the
building up of an American merchant
marine. In this policy the Panama
canal plays an important part to lessen
1.-THE length of haul, while the develop
ment of our internal waterways tc
their full carrying capacity to cheaper
and facilitate the movement of the
lproducts of the great interior valley
Ito the seashore Is but a branch Of the
same great work. Related to this is
1.-THE demonstration of the watersheds
to prevent drouths and floods and soil
washing; the development of water
lpower along these streams of com
merce, to afford cheap power for the
manufacture of articles of commerce
1.-THE conservation of our fuel, ore and
timber supplies that raw material
may not be wanting; and last of all
the reclamation by irrigation of aris
lands and the protection of public
lgrazing lands, to insure plenty OF
cheap food for the vast industrial and
commercial population certain tt
dwell along these highways of com
merce. Is it not a wonderfully pleas
ling prospect? The realization will
depend on how faithfully the forestry
associations and kindred organiza
ltions persist in the work.
II