Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-09-22


When did the United States begin
the practice OF forestry? Few per
sons can answer this question cor
rectiy Most people are OF the opin-
ION that the beginning of forestry in
this country was or very recent or
igin, and that the first step in that
direction was taken among the noun
tains or the far west. Neither is cor.
rect
Nhlle Washington was serving his
hrst term as president of the United
States, recommendation came to him
mat the government ought to buy live
oak Islands on the coast of Georgia
10 make sure of supply OF ship
TIMBER FOR war vessels. The idea an
pears 10 have originated with Joshua
Humphreys, whose official title was
constructor Of the United States
Navy" although about the only navy
then existing was made up OF six ships
on paper, and not one stick of timber
to build them had yet been cut. The
vessels were designed to fight the
north African pirates.
Five years after the recommends
ton was made congress appropriated
money to buy live oak land. Grover
and Blackboard islands on the coast
Of Georgia were bought for s22. 500.
They contained 1850 acres.
Louisiana was bought soon after
and In 1917 the Six Islands. Of 10000
acres, and containing $1,000 live oak
trees, were withdrawn from sale, and
ri
gress appropriated $4,000 to buy adj
ditional live oak land on Santa Rosa
sound, western Florida, and subse-
quently other Florida timberlands. ag.
gregating 20O,2z4 acres, were reserved
Up to that time nothing more had
been done than to buy or reserve land
for the timber growing naturally up-
on 1t; but the work was to be carried
further upon the Santa Rosa purchase
The plan included planting, protecting
cultivating, and cutting live oak for
the navy. The timber was then con.
sidered indispensable in building war
vessels. Much had been said and
written of the danger OF exhaustion of
supply. Settlers destroyed the timber
to clear land, and European nations
were buying large quantities fer their
naVies. In response to repeated warn
ings the government finally took steps
to grow timber for its own use.
Young oaks were planted on the
Santa Rosa lands. Difficulty was ex
perienced In inducing young trees to
grow. The successful TRANSATLANTIC
OF the oak is not easy, unless done az
the proper time and in the right way.
The plantations at Santa Rosa were
generally unsuccessful; but large
quantities of acorns were planted and
fair proportion Of them grew. But
the chief efforts were directed to prun.
Ing, training, and caring for the wild
trees. Tickets about them were cut
away TO let In afr and light.
What the ultimate success of the
forestry work would have been can
not be told. The civil war brought a
complete change in war vessels by
substituting iron for wood Forestry
work stopped. The timber reserves
we're neglected. Squatters occupied
the land. After a number of years all
the reserves except some of the Flori.
da land, we're opened to settlement.
Mr.. Clifford Plnchot, United States
forester and chairman of the national
conservation commission, addressed
the National Irrigation congress re-
,ently held at Spokane Wash, in the
course of which he said:
The most valuable citizen of this
or any other country is the man who
owns the land from which he makes
his living. No other man has such
. stake in the country. No other man
lends such steadiness and stability to
our national life. Therefore, no other
question concerns us more intimately
than the question of homes. Perma-
nent homes for ourselves, our chill
dren, and our nation-this is the CEN
trail problem. The policy of national