Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-02
ASKS ROADS ADD
Forestry Bureau of Government
Urges Economy in Use of
Timber.
CIRCULAR LETTERS SENT
Teachers Asked to Cooperate i'm Sc
surfing knowledge of More
Common Trees.

Washington, June 1.-THE presi-
dents of the leading railroads of the
country have just received letter
from Clifford Pinchot. United States
forester, calling upon them to practice
forest conservation and better timber
utilization. In his letter the forester
says:
Il am writing to call your attention
again TO some phases of subject .
which | know you must already have
| given much thought-the conservation
of our forests. The report of the ma
tional conservation commission shows
that we are cutting our forests three
times faster than they are growing;
that much large timber and young
growth are destroyed yearly by fire,
that as a nation we have used wood
wastefully and eXtravagantly; that the
only way we can get the timber We
shall need in the future is to keep all
our forest land constantly growing
trees; and that the longer we delay
action the greater will be the pinch
of timber shortage later on.
Fifth i'm Public Forests.
"One-iifth of our remaining timber
is in public forests, and on these for
ests the nation and the states are prac-
ticing forestry Four-fifths of our
timber is privately owned, and it Is
being cut almost exclusively for pres
ent profit without regard TO the future
The problem of providing a timber sup
,l I,n ~
government alone. by the states alone
nor by Individuals alone; all must
work together.
Since the railroads are among the
largest consumers of wood, they vii
suffer heavily from the much higher
prices and the actual scarcity of timber
which will occur if our forests are no
conserved. Railroad companies car
most advantageously undertake boil
the growing of timber and the econo
mical utilization OF the product. The,
have steady demand for timber, tht
extent of which can be largely anti
cipated. and they need much small
timber of kinds which can be grown i.
relatively short time
timber problems which must be work
ed out to meet the given conditions
At the same time there are certal.
lines of general policy which can b.
proiitably adopted by many roads
They are:
q. The use of chemically treate,
ties wherever possible.
80 The use of so-called inferio
; woods, as, for example, black gum ant
i. loblolly pine, for ties, which will re
duce the drain on white oak, and whic
!, is entirely practicable if the ties ar
: treated,
/, IS. The purchase and management
!. OF land bearing mature timber whic
). can be used Immediately, and of sex
, ond growth timber which will NEE
, the needs of the future Such land
f if properly managed will insure PEI
o petual supply of ties and lumber 4
y the cost of production.
+. Commended by Railway Men.
e a. The planting of trees upo
:; lnonagricultural land owned by the Goa
:; pany, which does not now contain suf
t. Gent young growth to produce tin
Der crop.
4 So. Cooperation with other roads
Il the adoption of standard specification
y for ties and timber and for the trea
IL ment of them. Cooperation with tin
e berland owners and the states in fiji
l. prevention, and in bringing about co
e ditions which will make the practis
It of forestry profitable
" These are in substance the recon
IS mendations of the subcommittee :
10 forest supplies of the American Ra
< way Engineering and Maintenance
1t