The Ordway new era., 1909-09-03

When did the United States begin
the practice OF forestry? Few per-
sons can answer this question cor
rectly. Most people are of the opin-
Ion that the beginning Of forestry in
this country was OF very recent or
igfn, and that the first step In that
direction was taken among the noun
tains Of the far west. Neither is cor
rect
While Washington was serving his
frst term as president OF the United
States. a recommendation came to him
that the government ought to buy live
oak islands on the coast OF Georgia
to make sure Of a supply OF ship
timber for war vessels. The idea ap-
pears to 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 $4,000
acres, and containing $1,000 live oak
trees, were withdrawn from sale, and
set apart as a reserve. In 1925, con-
gress appropriated $4,000 to buy ad.
ditional live oak land on Santa Rosa
sound, western Florida. and subse.
quently other Florida timberlands. ag.
gregating 200,224 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 for 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 transplanting
Of the oak is not easy, unless done at
the proper time and in the right way.
The plantations at Santa Rosa were
generally unsuccessful; but large
quantities Of acorns were planted, and
a fair proportion Of them grew. But
the chief efforts were directed to prun.
ing. training, and caring for the wild
trees. Thickets about them were cut
away to let in air 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
were neglected. Squatters occupied
the land. After a number of years all
the reserves except some of the Flori.
da land, were opened to settlement.
Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, United States
forester and chairman of the national
conservation commission, addressed
the National Irrigation congress re-
Gently 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
q 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.
nsnt homes for ourselves, our chill.
dfea, and our nation-this II the cen.
txal problem. The policy Of national