Semi-weekly herald., 1909-11-11
GERMANS PLANTING
FORESTS IN CHINA

In considering the progress OF the
almost worldwide movement for pro
lection of forests, an interesting re-
view has Just been made OF the work
In CHINA country which Is so often
cited as an example of the evil eff
focts of deforestation
In a portion OF the Celestial king
dom earnest efforts are now being
made to re-establish forest cover by
planting. Consul Wilbur r. Gracey of
Tsingtau, China. reports that the Ger
mans In that region are making sue
cessful attempts at rcforestation. The
success of the work was practically
assured at the start. for to Germany
is given the credit for having the
highest developed system OF forestry
and II was natural to expect that the
long experience In forest work In the
Fatherland would lessen preliminary
experimentation and hasten progress
In China
When Tsingtau was occupied by the
Germans about eleven years ago the
hills were found barren and bare, with
only a sporadic growth OF scrub pine
and weeds. Plans for reforestation
We're at once made. and about 2.9G5
acres have already been planted
About half of this is planted in aca-
cias. The balance In pile. larch. oak
walnut. ash. naples and alders. So
successful has this planting been that
where the sale OF timber can be made
Small branches are sold for fire wood
and some OF the timber is used for
mining purposes. The sale and ex
portniion of acacia is expected to be
come considerable source OF revenue
during the next few years.
II Is particularly remarkable that
this work should have been so sue.
cessfu in view of the difficulties to
(which the plantation was subjected
Tho rainfall is light and lack of mois.
Iture considerably retarded the deyel-
opment of the trees. BY far the worst
enemies, however. were insects. Va
rious species of caterpillars and other
Insects have been SO destructive that
thousands OF Chinese boys and won.
ell are now engaged annually to de.
stroy them. Various measures of pre-
bnv II
Ing girdIes OF glue ON the trees. but
these have not been effective and II
was found necessary to resort to n
systematic destruction of the insects
by hand.
During 1908 over seven million cat
erpillars were gathered by hand
smashed. covered with lime, and after
wards used as fertilizer This method
has been successful In protecting the
greater part of the plantations, but
on the mountains on the border OF
the territory the trees are eaten bare
Acacias appear to Withstand the at.
tacks OF the insects better than any
other species; and the submits of
the mountains are now being planted
with these trees In an effort to check
future destruction. In addition to
these enemies. Chinese thieves are
another source OF difficulty. and on
one occasion band OF thirty.six
thieves was captured in the act OF
stealing wood.
In spite OF these drawbacks, how
ever. the work has been so success.
full that the Chinese government is
now undertaking forestry schemes In n
number of places under advice from
German experts. This work centers
about Mukden. Manchuria. where sue
cess has already been obtained with
acaclas and experiments are now be.
ing made with other trees The first
Chinese forest school was establish
cd at Mukden two years lgo. Six
hundred and twenty-five acres have
already been set apart for cultiva
tion, and 2f,710 acres are to be pur
chased for afforestation.
Three large mines In China. In the
provinces OF Chill and Shansi. which
are under the management OF Euro
peans. are making plans for afforesta
ton. and the Shantung railway is
planting acacias along Ego miles OF its
track. This. however. is simply be,
ginning Of the work and the Chinese
government now has in contemplation
the Inauguration OF extensive affores
tatIon work in different parts Of
China.