Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-14
Growing of Timber is Profitable
Here, Says Agricultural Year Book

''In the last 10 years." says the year
book of the department of agriculture
for 1907, forestry has advanced in
this country from an almost unknown
In that time the number of technically
trained foresters has increased from
less than a dozen to over 400. Ten
years ago there was not single for
est school in the country. Now there
the several professional forest schools
which rank with those of Europe, and
a score more with courses in elemen
tary forestry whose usefulness is
steadily growing. Forest lands under
management have grown from one or
two tracts to many, aggregating $685.
900 acres, scattered through 80 states.
The national forests have increased
from 100000 acres, practically I'M
used and unprotected, to 65,000.000
acres, used, guarded, and improved
both in productiveness and accessible
ity. The number of states which have
state forests has increased from one to
ten; and of those which employ train
ed foresters from none to IL. The
membership of forest associations has
increased from 5000 to 1880. Ten
years ago, except for few of the fore
most botanists, European foresters
knew more about American forests
than did the people of this country. In
Europe they were then using preserva-
tives to prolong the service of beech
to their life. Here, on the other hand,
scarcely a treated tie has been laid,
though there are now so treating
plants, q of which treat ties eXclu-
sively, and an engineer who recently
returned from Europe reports that both
treating equipment of this country is
ahead of any to be found abroad.
"And yet American forestry has
only safely passed the experimental
sage and got ready to do something
Action, immediate and vigorous. must
he taken if the inevitable famine of
wood supplies is to be lessened. We
ere now using as much wood in a
single year as grows in three. with
only 20 years supply of virgin growth
IN sight. Only the application of
forest knowledge with wisdom, meth
cd and energy, in the next 10 years,
Can prevent the starving of national
i, dustries for lack of wood.
Timber Profitable Crop.
"1he growing of timber as a farm
crop has gained a permanent place in
American agriculture. Each time a
thrifty farmer sees neighbor cutting
a supply of fence posts and obtaining,
cut of the same stock, enough fire.
wood to pay for the work. or selling
cn the stump quantity of saw tim
Ter, the product of farsighted in
vestment of Is, 20, or % years ago,
be realizes more keenly the import
snce of the wood crop. A farm with
cut a good woodlot is incomplete.
when the rainfall is heavy. the
lwoodlot can be maintained on land
not the best for other purposes. while
in region where good land must be
selected it is the opinion of expert.
onced men that the trees pay for the
ground they occupy in protection to
tie farmstead, the orchard, or adjoin.
ing fields. With the shelter of wind.
Freak, less feed is required to winter
stock. danger to an orchard from late
frosts is reduced. and the comfort OF
the home, as well as its beauty. is
greatly increased. indeed, some own
ers have estimated the value of good
groves at $1,000 an acre. on the ground
that the value of their property is in
| ceased to that extent by the trees