Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-11-03
GERMAN PLANTING
FORESTS IN CHINA

derug the progress OF the almost
worldwide movement for protection
% forests am interesting review
has just been made of the work in
China country which is 30 often
cited as an example Of the evil cl-
fleets OF deforestation
In portion of the Celestial King
dom earnest efforts are now being
made to re-establish a forest cover
by planting Con al Wilbur T.
Gracey OF Tsingtau. China, reports
that the Germans i'm that region are
making successful attempts at re-
formation. The success of the
work was practically assured at the
start. for TO Germany is given the
credit for having the highest de-
veloped system OF foretry. and it
was natural 10 expect that the long
experience i'm forest work in the
Fatherland would lessen prelimin-
airy experimentation and hasten pro
gress in China.
When Tsingtau was occued oy
the Germans about eleven years ago
the hills were found bare ana bar
rem with only a sporadic growth of
scrub pine and weeds Plans for
refore-tation were at oace made
and about 1865 acres have already
been planted. About half of this is
planted i'm acacias, the balance in
pine, larch, walnut. Onk, ash, ma
pie. and alders so successful has
this planting been that the point
has already been reached where the
sale OF timber can be made. Small
branches are sold for fire wood and
some of the timber is used for min
ing purposes The sale ANA eXpor-
tation of acacia is expected 20 be-
come a considerable source of rev
enue Guriug the next few gears.
1t is particularly remarkable that
this WORK should have been so sue
cessful i'm view OF the dimcultie,
to which the plantation was sub
iected The raa',U S. light and
TACK of moisture considerably re-
tards the development of the trees
~ far nc worest enemies. how
ever. were insects Various sne-
cies of catcrpllar and other inn
scots have been so destructive THAT
thousands of Chinese bows and wo-
men are now engaged annually
to destroy them Various measures
of prevention have been tried. such
as placing girdles OF glue on the
trese but these nave not been e.
fectiye and it was found aecess airy
to resort 10 a systematic destruc-
ton of the insects by hand.
During 1905 over seven million
caterpillars We're gathered by hand.
smashed covered with lime, and
afterwards used as fertilizer This
method has been successful in pro-
tecting the greater part of the plan
tauons, but on the mountains on
the border OF the territory the
trees are eaten bare Acacias APP
pear to wthstond the attacks of
the insects better than any other
species; and the SUBMITS of the
mountains are now being planted
with these trees i'm ar effort to check
future destruction In addition
to these enemies. Chinese thieves are
another source Of difficulty. and on
one occasion brand Of thirty-six
thieves was captured in the act of
stealing wood
IN spite of these draw backs, how
ever. the work has been so success
ful that the Chinese Government is
now undertaking forestry schemes
in number of places under advice
from German experts. This work
centes about Mukden Mauchuria.
where success has already been OBJ
tanned with acacias and experiments
are now being made with other
trees. The first Chinese forest
school was established at Mudken
two years ago Six hundred and
twenty-five acres have already been
4 set apart for cultivation. and a.
no acres are 10 Doe purchased for
affore.faHou.
Three large mines in China. in the
! provinces of Cmhn and Shansi
which arc under The management OF
EWopeansy are making plans for
anorestation ans the shanune
Railway is planting acacias along
200 miles of its track This. how
ever simply beginning of thc|
work q Il The r,.H, eoycr mcntI
nnnt now has IT, contemplation th