The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-16

hS ODJCCt OI FOTCbtI1s
Forestry IS the art of harvesting
the crop of timber but leaving tho
forest. II concerns both the produc-
ton aud utilization Of wood. some.
thing that Is ever needed, whether
we eat or sleep. or whether we sit
IN tho house or ride abroad. Wood
Is now being used IN the United
States about three times as fast as
It Is growing, and all realize what
that means. Prompt and widespread
application Of forestry is the one pre-
ventiye of a universal timber famine
"a starving OF national industries
for the lack of wood. The forester
tries TO so manage forest land that
II will produce year by year the
greatest amount OF wood OF the best
grade. To do this successfully he
studies the 100 OF more tree species
OF commercial importance In this
country. to learn where they abound.
how fast they grow, In what degree Of
sunlight they grow fastest, and In
what condition they come up best from
the seed or sprout from stumps and
grow into new trees. Economical
methods Of cutting, logging. saving
seasoning marketing, and in some
cases, preserving against decay with
chemicals, must be considered, as
we'll as the purpose for which a GER
tain kind of wood is best suited.
Every year a tree spreads on
thin layer of new wood just outside
Of the old and just inside tho bark
BY counting these rings at the ground
when the tree is cut you can tell Its
age; by counting the rings at the top
OF the first, second. or third lob and
Subtracting this number from the
number counted at the ground you
can tell how long it took the tree 10
reach that height The annual rings
are the basis of the studies by which
q forester determines show long 1t
takes a certain kind OF tree TO produce
given amount of saw timber. of ties.
OF fuel wood, or OF pulp for paper; and
to what extent trees can be cut in
numbering and leave those remaining
condition not only to continue
growing but TO grow the faster BY
more figuring the forester learns how
much timber can be cut each year
from given area and not take II
faster than il is being produced, and,
further. how large a timber tract a
lumber company must have available
TO be able to cut a given quantity
every year and not run out Of mater
ial.
These problems possess a tascinat-
ing interest, and no profession finds
more subsidiary lines OF investigation
than forestry.
The Annual Ring Page Of History.
by noting the periods of wide
rings and those that are narrow, the
times Of prosperity and vicissitude
are known; and by closer study
causes other than the kind Of sea,
sons are found to influence growth.
fires. earthquakes. lightning. ravaSes
of insects. are all to be reckoned with,
and all leave their mark in the trees
written history.
Il was much interested In eXamin-
ing cross section from a lodgepole
pine In the Medicine Bow mountains.
south of Walcott, Wyo., which, stand
ing alone, had been windthrown, an ac-
cident that often overtakeS tree
accustomed to a thick stand, sudden
ly deprived of its companions. By
counting the rings it was found that
the tree was III years old. In the
growth of the firDt 155 years the
rings were very narrow, showing that
the tree had been hindered by older
trees. sunlight being necessary for
rapid growth Al the age OF 20 the
tree suffered a severe accident, per-
haps a forest fire. For several years
It evidently existed without bark on
the side of the tree from which the
wind had brought the fire. and it Is
somewhat surprising that wounded
and overtopped, 1t survived. One
hundred and thirty-fivc years later
another important change took place
1T may have been fire, or the lum'
berman's axe. The tree was tempor-
arily injured ut this time. as was
shown by the discoloration of the
rings on one side, but. whatever the
cause. it removed the older overehad-
owing trees, permitting the tree from
which the section was taken to make
as great diameter growth in 22 years
as In the previous 156, and hence
many times as great volume incre-
mont.
A Look to the Future
Irrigation is inc hope OF the west,
and the forest Is the protection of
the reservoir that keeps the ditch
filled, and, indeed is itself reser-
voir Trees will not Increase the
snowfall, and perhaps not the rainfall
but they will retard the melting OF the
snow by their shade and by obStruct-
Ing the wind, and they will delay the
running off Of the water. That is
to say, they will hold until June, July
and August. very much OF the moist
ure that now contributes to the spring
floods The future possibilities or
Utah's development are very bright,
and might be said TO be limited only
by the supply of water, not only Tor
extension OF irrigation. but also Tor
manufacturing There Is no adequate
reason why the wool clipped at the
base of the Wasntch mountains should
be shipped to the looms OF the Mer-
rimac and back again; or why, WITH
nearly one-half of the remaining tim
Der supply In the northwest. practi-
cally all Of tho paper and nearly all
of the wood manufactures should be
freighted across the prairles, the
plains and the mountains.
Doctor Conwell, speaking from this
platform. urged us to help make OS'
den a great city Let us by husband
ing the resources upon which the city
must for all time roIy. make ii an
enduring greatness.
A voto of thanks was tendered MT
Craft for his interesting and enlight'
euing address. after which the student
body voted with thanks to accept the
Invitation Of Mr.. Vanderskite to plant
hi.ch trnn In .caInr mark