The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-12-28
every wear 20 afford a little 10Y in

every year TO afford little JOY in
the passing holiday season.
Yes, it is consistent and proper
that the custom should be maintain
g., has been the answer of United
States Forester Clifford Pinchot in
every case. Trees are for use, and
there is no other use to which they
could be put which would contribute
so much to the JOY of man as their
use by the children on this one great
holiday OF the year.
THE number of trees cut for this
use each year is utterly insignificant
when compared to the consumption
for ether purposes for which timber
is demanded. Not more than four
million Christmas trees are used
each year, one in every fourth fam
lily II planted four feet apart they
could be grown on less than 1000
acres This clearing of an area equal
to good sized farm each Christmas
should not be q subject OF much wor-
~, when it is remembered that for
lumber alone it is necessary to take
timber from an area of more than
100 900 acres every day of the year.
1T is true that there has been Sc
rlouS damage to forest growth in
the cutting of Christmas trees in
various sections of the country, par
ticulas'ly in the Adirondacks and
parts If New England, but in these
very sections the damage through
the cutting of young evergreen for
use at Christmas is infinitesimal
when compared with loss of forest Re
sources through fires and careless
methods of numbering. The proper
remedy is not to stop using trees but
to adopt wiser methods of use.
1T is generally realized that a
certain proportion of land must al
ways sc used for forest growth, just
as Tor other crops. Christmas trees
are one form of this crop There is
re more reason for an cutlery against
asing land to grow Christmas trees
thar TO grow flowers
Tie forest service upholds the
Christmas tree CUSTOM but recogni-
yes at TIE same time. that the indis-
crimiIiate eating of evergreens to
supply the holiday trade has pro-
duced bad effect upon many stands
of merchantable kinds of trees in
different sections of the country.
Waste and destruction usually re-
suit when woodlands are not under
a proper system of forest manage
ment. ForeSters say that it is not
by denying ourselves the wholesome
pleasure of having a bit of nature in
tie home at Christmas that the prob
lcm of conserving the forests will be
solved. The ravages through forest
fires must be checked, the many ave-
n,.es )f waste of timber in its travel
from tie woods to the mill and
thence to the market must be closed
and almost numberless important
problems demand attention before
the Christmas tree
Germany is conceded to have the
highest developed system of forest
management of any country, yet its
PEI capita use of Christmas trees is
grra, est. The cutting of small trees
for Christmas is not there considered
III the least as menace to the for
est. but, on the contrary, as a means
OF Improving the forest by thinning
and as. a source of revenue. 1t is
IT, efefore constantly encouraged
There is little doubt but that the
tine will come when the Christmas
tree business will become recog-
uZed industry in this country and
that as much attention will be given
20 it as will be given to the grow
ing of crops of timber for other uses.
This time may not be far off, for II
| is already understood that only
through practice of forestry. which
means both the conservation of the
timber which remains and carefully
planned systems of reforestaton
which it will be possible to supply
the country with its forty billion feet
of lumber needed each year, as we'll
as the few million little trees used
, At Christmas time.