Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-21
TIMBER

NY a colossal process Of readjust-
X ment and restitution, Uncle sam
AZ within the next few years will
make amends to Dame Nature for the
eccentricities Of some of his nephews
who have squandered the natural re-
sources of the country in the effort TO
become rich in a hurry. We may well
! be thankful to Providence that in the
lbounteous provision made for man
! kind there seems to be an allowance
for waste
No matter IN what prodigal excess
the spendthrift, Man, may indulge,
sooner or later scientific inspiration
enables him to repair his error.
There seems to be a way out of the
| difficulty and danger brought upon
the nation by the gigantic and ava
riciol.s folly of the lumber trust and
Of thousands of small individual lum-
berers who reaped where they did not
sow and took no thought for the NOR
row or for posterity.
Billions of dollars have been made
bv the deforestation of the country
Now. by a feasible plan of reforesta-
ton with quickly maturing woods II
looks as if billions might be made by
Ireforestation; and this is an enterprise
which is not controlled by trust one
| in which every citizen who owns
few square feet Of land may engage.
! If has been established to the sat
isfaction of practical men and eX-
merits that the California eucalyptus can
take the place of most of the hard
woods of which the eastern states the
middle west and the Mississippi val
LEY are being denuded.
The eucalyptus fills every purpose
for which other tlmbers have been en-
Moved. from making agricultural I'M
plements which are strong and en-
during and stand the weather to tur-
Inisbing the material for beautiful and
artistic dining room tables and other
high grade pieces Of furniture.
Eucalyptus is known as the miracle
tree. and truly it's growth seems mar
veIous when it is compared with the
growth of other trees that are neither
more useful nor more valuable tor
instance, in ten years eucalyptus can
he grown equal in timber quality to
hickory that has been matured in the
bark for a century or more And eu-
calvptus at thirty-fve years is equal
in quality to oak of two or three CEN
turies of growth.
In short. eucalyptus is new
world" tree and possesses all the
"new-world" characteristics. On the
future fortunes, of America it is bound
70 exercise a prodiglous influence
nrobablv greater than any other inlu-
ence founded upon materiality; for be
if remembered, the United States be-
gan by being a timber country; on
timber and on maize raised in the
cIearings beside the log huts the first
foundations of our great national
nrosperity were laid We have had a
great deal to say in these columns
about the first principles of American
sniritual and ethical life. Timber was
60 to speak, first principle of Amer
lean material life, and the restoration
of timber to the land is as necessary
las the restoration Of tone to the ma
tionality.
To California the eucalyptus boom
will mean more than TO any other
state. Here, by methodical planting
and scientific cropping, gigantic in
dusttry can be established which Will
be profitable as long as the sun shines
and the years come and go. And the
benefits Of this industry will not be
restricted to individuals. Communities
can engage in it. Cities will find in
if a most valuable use for their spare
land. Los Angeles can grow eucalyp-
tus along the route of the aqueduct
land add so handsomely to the revenues
of the city that the aqueduct may
safely be looked on as paying IN
Lyestment from the time of its compile
ton and the wisdom, pluck, foresight
land enterprise of citizens who planned
that great project will be, econom-
ically, justified more completely than
even our most sanguine citizens
deemed possible.