The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1908-12-10
PRESERVE THE FORESTS.

Of right.
PRESERVE THE FORESTS.
President Points Out Duty Owed to
Those Who Come After Us.
If there is any one duty which more
to perform at once, 1t is to save the for
ests of this country, for they constitute
the first and most important element in
the conservation Of the natural re-
sources Of the country. There are of
course two kinds of natural resources.
One Is the kind which can only be used
as part Of a process of exhaustion; this
wells and the like. The other, and of
course ultimately by far the most i'm
portant, includes the resources which
can be improved in the process of wise
use: the soil, the rivers. and the forests
come under this head. Any really civil
lied nation will 80 use all of these three
great national assets that the nation will
a farmer. after all his life making his
living from his farm, will. II he is an ex-
pert farmer, leave 1t as an asset Of in
creased value to his son, so we should
leave our national domain to our chill
dren, increased in value and not worn
out. There are small sections of our own
country. in the East and in tho west, in
and the Appalachians. and in tho Rocky
mountains, where we can already see for
ourselves the damage in the shape of
permanent Injury to the soil and tho
river systems which comes from reckless
deforestatton. It matters not whether
this deforestation Is due to the actual
reckless cutting of timber, to the fires
thar }neVy1f0 h1rp <~11o~- n>4 o11.1> 1.A
ting OF timber, or to reckless and uncon-
trolled grazing, especially by the great
migratory bands Of sheep, the un-
checked wandering Of which over the
country means destruction to forests and
disaster to the small home-makers, the
settlers Of limited means.
sho~rt-sfghted persons. or persons
blinded to the future by desire to make
money In every a out Of the present,
sometimes speak as II no great damage
would be done by the reckless destruc-
ton Of our forests. It is difficult to have
patience with the arguments Of these
persons. Thanks to our own reckless
ness In the use Of our splendid forests,
we have already crossed the verge Of a
timber famine In this country, n no
measures that we now take can. at least
for many years. undo the mischief that
has already been done. But we can pre-
vent further mischief being done; and It
would be In the highest degree reprehen-
sible to let any consideration Of tenn
porary convenience or temporary cost
interfere with such action. especially as
regards the national forests which the
nation can now, at this very moment,
control.
Cases Of Damage Cited.
All serious students Of the question aro
aware of the great damage that has
been done In the Mediterranean countries
Of Europe. Asia and Africa by deforesta-
ton. The similar damage that has been
done in eastern Asia Is less well known.
A recent investigation into conditions in
north China by MI. Frank N. Meyer of
the bureau Of plant industry Of the
United states department Of agriculture,
has incidentally furnished In very strik-
ing fashion proof Of the ruin that comes
from reckless deforestation of mountains,
and Of the further fact that the damage
once done may prove practically ire
parable. So important are these inves-
legations that I hav herewith attached
as an appendix to my message certain
photographs showing present conditions
In Chine. They show in vivid fashion
the appalling d%esolation, taking the shape
OF barren mountains and gravel and
s~and-covered plains, which Immediately
follows and depends upon the deforesta-
ton Of the mountains. Not many GEN.
turtles ago the country Of northern China
was one OF the most fertile and beauti-
ful spots In the entire world, and was
heavily forested. We know this not only
from the old Chinese records. but from
tho accounts given by the traveller,
Marco Polo. He. for instance, mentions
that In visiting the provinces Of shansi
and shensi he observed many planta-
tons Of mulberry trees- Now there Ii
hardly q single mulberry tree in either
~ fhoQA nrnVfncna and thu o,,1<,,~n . IL
alkworm has moved farther south, to
regions OF atmospheric moisture. as an
Illustration Of the complete change in
the rivers. We may take Polo's state
ment that q certain river. the Hun Ho,
was 80 large and deep that merchants
ascended it from the sea with heavily
laden boats: to-day this river is simply
a broad sandy bed. with shallow, rapid
currents wandering hither and thither
across it, absolutely unnavigable. But
We do not ave to depend upon written
records. The dry wells. and the wells
with water far below the former water
mark. bear testimony to the good days
OF the past and the evil days Of the pres
ent. Wherever the native vegetation has
been allowed to remain. as for instance.
here and there around a sacred temple
or imperial burying ground. there are
still huge trees n tangled Jungle, frag-
ments of the glorious ancient forests.
The thick matted forest growth formerly
covered tho mountains to their submits.
All natural factors favored this dense
forest growth. n as long as It was per-
mttted to exist. the plains at the foot
Of the mountains were among the most
fertile on the globe. and the whole coun-
try was a garden. Not the slightest eff
fort was made. however. to prevent the
unchecked cutting Of trees, or to secure
reforestation Doubtless for many CEN
turtles the tree-cutting by the Inhabitants
Of the mountains worked but slowly in
bringing about the changes that nave
now come to pass: doubtless for genera
lions the inroads were scarcely notice.
eble. But there came a time when the
forest had shrunk sufficiently to make
each years cutting q serious mat
ter. and from that time on
the destruction proceeded with
appalling rapidity; for OF course
each year OF destruction rendered
the forest less able to recuperate. less
able to resist next years inroad. Mr..
Meyer describes the ceaseless progress
Of the destruction even now. when