The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-08
WHO COT The PIC !?
This Question Agitated Club
Women at Federation.
When This Is Settled Business
Is Resumed.
TALKS ON FORESTRY
Prof. Roberts of Manhattan
Gives Valuable Pointers.
Tells What Trees Give the Best
Effects.

Does anybody know who got the
pig?"
| 1t was a clubwoman at the October
meeting of the city Fed at the Com
mercial club Friday who asked. And,
somehow, the homely question at a club
meeting, ordinarily devoted exclusively
to the Higher Life, came as a relief.
Everyone sighed a sigh of intellectual
and physical relaxation, although a
good many of the other women, includ-
ing Mrs. j. d. Mcfarland, who in the
absence of the declarations president,
Mrs. Lee Monroe who has gone to Elk
celsior Springs to take the baths and
water for a severe attack of rheuma-
tism, was chairman, looked rather
blank. The back yard prizes awarded
by the civic committee this summer
were under discussion. The pig, it de-
veloped. was one of the prizes. A mem
Der of the civic committee arose to
state that the pig had been awarded
to an amateur horticulturist who lives
on the banks of the Shunganunga and
who had earned the prize although his
place had been twice flooded. Il don't
remember his NAME" she said But
he lived out some distance" Outside
the city limits 1 trust" interposed Mrs.
Mcfarland.
Great secrecy has been maintained as
to the identity of the principal donor
of the back yard prizes who gave fifty
dollars in cash Mrs. F. w. Watson,
who was president of the federation
when the prizes were offered moved
vote of thanks to the mysterious
anonymous donor and it was suggested
that the Fed pin a rose on him. Ac-
cordingly the vote of thanks and
bouquet OF red roses which adorned
the chairman's table were sent to him
o10 Ofk 11o n
the secret has been kept long enough,
and the writer violates no confidence in
disclosing the fact that it is Mr.. Arthur
Capper who is so modestly hiding his
light under a busheL
Forestry the Theme.
The October meeting might be said to
have been a symposium on the subject
OF Amt Nacher Grand? The West Side
Forestry club had charge of the pro-
gram during which Mrs. Q. E. Walker
of that club presided, giving little
talk about the organization of the club
through the efforts of Mrs. w. A.
Johnston, and introducing the speak
ers, Professor H. L. Roberts of the
tons in the selection, planting and
Mrs. G. A. Huron who read a paper IN
the psychological effects of nature
study. The federation voted to eStab- |
fish department of forestry, the OBJ
ject of which will be to assist the park
boards and civic Improvement associa- |
tions in the selection, plating and
pruning OF trees and shrubs in the
streets and parks. Professor Roberts |
suggested that such a department
might be of much service to the COM
if some member of 1t |
would superintend the pruning of the
trees which are so often ruined by tree
butchers who are utterly untitled for
the work and who do it with no consid- |
GRAFTON for the health or beauty of the J
tree. |
Professor Roberts Address.
Professor Roberts is an unusually |
agreeable speaker and although he dis |
any especial fitness to discuss
the subject of forestry which he said, |
is not his speciality, he gave a most in |
teresting talk based on his own obser- |
vations and experiences in tree plant |
ing. At the outset the speaker differ |
entiated between forestry as a profess |
sion, mainly devoted to the cultivation |
Of as many board feet of lumber as
possible to the acre, and forestry as an |
art, for the identifying of the land
scape, the sense in which the fedora
ton is interested in the subject. In
as a business or profession
forestry in the sense in which it is now
so much public attention,
Professor Roberts said, there was no
sentiment and no aesthetic considera-
lion. It was simply a question Of
oecuniary profit, raising lumber to re-
place the devastated forests, or of con-
serving the Few TIMBER tracts winch re-
main. Technically, forestry means the
employment of waste lands for the
growth of timber. The United States
lad been de-forested to such an extent
hat in 300 years the vast natural
forests had been almost entirely de-
spoiled and to replace them is one of
he great public problems of the day.
The state of Ohio, for example, which
vas once almost one huge forest, has
low only about ten per cent of its area
xir1oF II a of no
was a serious loss not only
rom the aesthetic and sentimental
standpoint but also for practical rea-
sons. The removal of the trees had
ury to agricultural interests being al
most incalculable. The roots of the
rees hold the soil in place, the timber
llong the streams largely prevents
loods, not to mention the advantages
If shade and enrichment of the soil
he formation of the black mold os
lunus essential to profitable agricul-
ure. The influence of trees on climate
S a much discussed question and can
lot be stated with any positiveness as
ret.
Forestry as a profession is still in
is infancy in this country where we
ave only lately been confronted with
he results of the wanton waste of the
inber by the pioneers and are just
beginning to study the methods of
oreign countries where forestry has
,een practiced for centuries. We are
who having eaten all our
andy first find ourselves looking
round for bread and butter. Vastly
avored by nature, we were too prodi-
al of her gifts and despoiled the for
SITS for years with no thought of re-
,lacing them. Every one knows the
history of the extravagant milling
which devastated the timber tracts in
his country until, from having had
he best and cheapest lumber in the
World OifiZan q
bile to carry off under his arm all the
lumber he can afford to buy. The gov