The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-10-15
SAVE TIE TREES
A Plea for the Preservation Of
the Forests
NATION Is WAKING UP
People Are Beginning to Realize
the Supreme Importance of Do
ing Something

In the last ten years" says the
yearbook of the Department of Agri-
culture for 1907 forestry has ad-
vanced in this country from an al
most unknown science to a useful,
growing profession. In that time the
number of technically trained fores-
ters has increased from less than a
dozen to over 400. Ten years ago
there was not a single forest school
in the country; now there are sever
al professional forest schools which
rank with those of Europe, and a
score more with courses in elementary
forestry whose usefulness is steadily
growing Forest lands under manage
ment have grown from one or two
tracts to many, aggregating 100000
acres, scattered through 80 states
The national forests have increased
from 100000 acres, practically un-
used and unprotected, to 165,000,000
acres, used, guarded, and improved
both in productiveness and accessi-
bility. The number of states which
have state forests has increased from
] to 10; and of those which employ
trained foresters, from none to II.
The membership of forest associations
has increased from $500 to 1890.
Tel. years ago, except for a few of
tie foremost botapists, European for
esters knew more about American for
ests than did the people of this coun-
try. In Europe they We're then using
preservatives to prolong the service
oe beech. ties, and 50 adding from
twenty to forty years to their-life.
Here, On the other hand, scarcely a
treated tie had been laid, though there
are now 60 treating plants, q of
which treat ties exclusively, and an
engineer who recently returned from
Europe, reports that both in size
and mechanical perfection, the treat
ing equipment Of this country is ahead
OF any to be found abroad. i
And yet American forestry has on
" safely passed the experimental
stage and got ready to do something.
Action, immediate and vigorous, must
be taken if the inevitable famine of
wood supplies is to be lessened. We
are now using as much wood in a
single year as grows in three, with
only twenty years supply of virgin
growth in sight. Only the. application
Of forest knowledge with wisdom,
method, and energy, in the next ten
years, can prevent the starving of rs
tional industries for lack of wood.
"The woodlot offers an excellent op-
portunity FOR the practice of forestry.
II is accessible enough to allow of
moderate cuttings at frequent inter-
walls, and it may be protected from
trespass and grazing and from fire,
its chief enemy, without an elaborate
scheme of defense; then taxation is
not a great burden, because the rev.
enue from farm supplies more than
meets this item every year, and thus
prevents the accumultion Of interest
THE application of intensive for
estry to large tracts will naturally
be of limited extent for some time
to come. Closer utilization, the set
ting of a minimum diameter below
which trees shall not be cut, to pro-
vide for a second crop, and protcc-
tion from fire, are conservative mea-
sures which are steadily gaining
ground. But looking into the future
far enough to make provision for a
third crop is not yet common, while
efforts to bring forest lands to high
productive capacity have Us yet scarce
w been attempted. In wealth of soil
and high commercial value Of native
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