The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-03-20
WHAT FORESTRY HAS DONE.

| Many people In this country think that forestry
had never been tried until the Government began
to practice it upon the National Forests. Yet
forestry Is practiced by every civilized country in
the world except China and Turkey. 1t gets re-
salts which eau be got in no other way and which
are necessary to the general welfare.
! What forestry has done abroad is the strongest
proof of v hat it can accomplish here. The re-
markable success Of forest management in the
civilized countries Of Europe and Asia is the most
forcible argument which can be brought in sup
port of the wise forest use in the United States
The more advanced and progressive countri' 5
arrive first and go fartLest in forestry, as they do
in other things. Indeed. we might ain ost take
forestry as yardstick with which to measure the
height of civilization. On the one hand the
| n tions which follow forestry most widely and
systematically would be found to be the most en-
Il.ghtened nations. On the other hand, when We
| APPLIED yardstick to such countries az are
without forestry. W. could say with eocd deal Of
assula nce by this test Alone "fIere is backward
nation"
The countries Of Europe and Asia, taken to-
geher ha passed through all the stages Of forest
history and applied all the known principles Of
forestry. They are rich in forest experience. The
lessons of forestry were brought home to them y
| hard knocks. Their forest systems wers brought
a gradually as the rel ult of hardship. They did
not first spin fine theories and then apply those
theories by main force. On the contrary. they
began by facing disagreeabe facts. Every step Of
the way toward wise forest use, the world over
has been made at the'sharp spur of want suffer-
ling, or loss. AS result. the science Of forestry Is
one of the most practical and most directly useful
of all the sciences. It is serious work. under
taken as measure of relief. and continued as q
safeguard against future calamity.
| The United States, then, in attacking the prob
lem of how best to its great forest resources,
Is not in the position of pioneer in the field 1t
has the experience of all other countries to go
upon There is no need for years OF experiment
with untried theories. The forest principles
which hundrs DIS Of years of actual practice have
| proved right are at its command. The only qres-
l tion is How should these be modified extended
| TO best meet American conditions? In the
management of the National Forests the Govern
| ment is not working in the dark. Nor is 1t sav
ishly copying European countries. 1t is putting
| into practice, in America, and for Americans,
principles tried and found correct. which will
insure to all the people alike the fullest and best
| use of all forest resources.
Take the case of Germany. Starting with forests
which were in as bad shape as many of our own
which have been reckessly cut over, it raised the
average yield of wood per acre from 20 cubic feet
| in 1880 to 50 cubic feet in 1904 During the same
period of time it trebled the proportion Of saw
| timber got from the average cut, which means,
in other words. that through the practice Of
forestry the timberlands of Germany are of three
times better quality today than when no system
was used And in fittyfour Years it increased the
| money returns from an average acre of forest
sevenfo'd.
| In France forestry has decreased the danger
| from floods, which threaten to destroy vast areas
of fertile farms. and in doing SO has added many
milons.of dollars to the National wealth in new
forests. 1t has removed the danger of sand dunes
and in their place has created property worth
many millions of dollars. Applied to the State
forests, which are small in comparison with the
National Forests of this country it causes them
to yield each year a net revenue of more than
200 Oo0. though the sum spent on each acre Tor
management is over 100 times greater than that
| -pent on the forests OF the United States
France and Germany together have popu-
ation of 10000, 900. in round numbers. against
our probable IS 0OO and State forests of IA 500
900 acres against 100000 600 acres of National
Forests; bnt France and Germany spend on their
forests 81 100 600 year and get from them in net
returns $50. 100000 year, while the United States
spent the National Forests last year 81 100000
and secured net return of less than $4,000.
In Switzerland, where every foot Of agricultural
land is of the greatest value forestry has made /.
possible for the people to farm all land fit for
crops and has assisted the country to support
larger population. and one that is more pros
porous, than would be the case ifthe valleys were
subjected to destructive floods. Ina country as
smallas Switzerland, and one which contains SO
many high and rugged mountains, this is ser
vice the benefits of which can not be measured in
dollars. 1t is in Switzerland also, in the SILVIA d.
1 that forestry demonstrates beyond contradiction
how great yield in wood and money 1t may
bring about ii applied consistently for number
i of years.
A circular entitled. what Forestry Has Done, y
just published by the Forest Service and obtain
able upon application to the Forester. Washing
ton. D. reviews the forest work ofthe leading
| foreign countries.