The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-11-08
GERMANS PLANT FORESTS
IN CHINESE EMPIRE

In considering the progress OF the
almost worldwide movement for pro-
lection Of forests, an interesting re-
view has Just been made Of the work
In CHINA country which is so often
cited as an example of the evil ef'
fects of deforestation.
In a portion Of the Celestial King
dom earnest efforts are now being
made TO re-establish a forest cover
by planting Consul Wilbur T, Gra-
ccy of Tsingtau, China. reports that
the Germans In that region are max
ing successful attempts at reforesta-
ton. The success of the work was
practically assured at the start, for
TO Germany Is given the credit for hay-
ing the highest developed system OF
forestry, and 1t was natural to expect
that the long experience in forest
work in the Fatherland would les.
sen preliminary experimentation and
hasten progress in China,
When Tsingtau was occupied by
the Germans about eleven years ago
the hills were found bare and bar.
rem, with only a sporadic growth of
scrub pine and weeds. Plans for re-
forestatlon We're at once made. and
about 2,9G5 acres have already been
planted About half of this is plant.
ed in acacias. the balance in pine,
larch, walnut, oak, ash, naples and
alders. So successful has this plant.
ing been that the point has already
been reached where the sale of tim
ber can be made. Small branches are
sold for FIRE wood and some of the
timber is used for mining purposes,
The sale and expectation OF acacia
is expected TO become a considerable
source of revenue during the next
few years.
It Is particularly remarkable that
this work should have been so sue.
cesSful in view of the difficulties TO
which the plantation was subjected.
The rainfall is light and lack OF mois.
ture considerably retarded the devel,
opment of the trees. By far the worst
enemies. however, were Insects. Var
ious species OF caterpiliars and 9th
er insects have been SO destructive
that thousands of Chinese boys and
women are now engaged annually TO
destroy them. Various measures OF
prevention have been tried, such as
placing girdles of glue on the trees,
but these have not been effective and
It was found necessary to resort TO
a systematic destruction of the In
sects by hand.
During 1908 over seven million cat.
erpillars were gathered by hand.
smashed. covered with lime. and af-
forwards used as fertilizer. This
method has been successful in pro-
tectng the greater part of the plan
tations but on the mountains on the
border OF the territory the trees are
eaten bare. Acacins appear to with
stand the attacks of the insects bet
ter than any other species, and the
SUBMITS OF the mountains are now
being planted with these trees In an
effort 10 check future destruction. In
addition to these enemies. Chinese
thieves are another source of diff
Guilty, and on one occasion a band
OF thlrty-sIx thieves was captured In
the act OF stealing wood.
In spite of these drawbacks. how
ever the work has been so success
full that the Chinese government Is
now undertaking forestry schemes in
a number of places under advice from
German experts This work centerS
about Mukden. Manchuria. where sue
cess has already been obtained with
acacias and experiments are now be
Ing made with other trees. The first
Chinese forest school was establish
ed at Mukden two years ago. Six
| hundred and twenty-five acres have
| already been set apart for cultivation,