The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-28
PRESERVE FORESTS
WALLACE SEES NEED OF AN Ex- PERT FOREsTER.
Mobile Man Endorses the vievva of the State Game and Fish Com.
 missioner in Interesting

State Game and Fish Comm issioner John H. Wallace, Jr., who Is likewiss
 Secretary of the State Commission oi Forestry, gave out an Interview in Mo. bile recently, in which he advocated
 forestry assistant in the ofice of the State Game and Fish Commissioner MT. Wallace contends that game pres.
 ewation and forestry preservation go hand in hand that when the forests are cut away and the cover destroy
 ed, no nesting or breeding places will
 be left for birds and game; he ia.
 vors compensatfng the forestry as.
 sistant out of the game and fish pro- lection fund, in which fund there Is a handsome surplus.
 His interview seems to have struck responsive chord in all sections of the State Mir. B. F. Bates. one of the best known civil engineers of Mobile county. addressed communi- cation to Mir. Wallace, in which he makes some excellent observations on the forestry situation. The letter of MT. Bates Is as follows:
 My attention has been called to an article wherein you are reported fa- voring the appointment of an expert forester to assist you In actively working up interest fin the State in forest conservation.
 'The fact that forestry has been my hobby. as well as the means where by I have made my living during the past twelve years, furnishes me the excuse in addressing you on this sub- ject. My work during the past four teen years as timber cruiser. esti- mater and buyer for timber syndi- cates has given me exceptional op- portunities in observing the changes taking place In the forests of the Gulf States. especially in my home State. Alabama.
 Active work along the lines you have outlined is a very real State need. Every year brings the fact nearer that unless the present meth ods of numbering In this State are radically changed the next decade will find Alabama stripped of her virgin timber growing up to supply the tim Der needs of the industries of the State.
 The denuded forests of Alabama are not being reforested appreciably. Fires and close cutting of nearly all healthy cone bearing trees from the lands of pine belts constantly op- crate against reforestation and hard ly anything Is being done to prevent these destructive agencies from en- tirely deforesting the timber belts of the State.
 T have repeatedly called the atten- ton of the lumbermen to the condi- | lions. a few are becoming interested, | the majority have read nothing on | the subject and regard forestry as | mainly theoretical and impracticable | 70 far as their numbering is concerned. |
 Must Suppress Fires.
 Fires must be suppressed before can begin successfully. When Alabama lumbermen, stockmen md turpentlne operators have acquir- ,d a proper respect for the law, se- ecting and leaving cone bearing trees, artificial planting will become effect We.
 "I am personally acquainted with he majority of the lumbermen and urpentine men operating in this State. and realize that in order to es- ablish efficient forest conservation In he State. revolution shall have to 'e accomplished.
 "A great many lumbermen are cut ing on the stumpage basis and have 10 interest in the lands after once cut ing the timber off. Those who own he lands In fee simple. if the lands Ire hilly and broken, say the land Ifs 10 good" and that "all they want is III that can be squeezed out of the imber here and now
 "The turpentine operator leases the imber he works and Is on a footing with the lumberman who cuts per tumpage. Those who own the land the level parts of the State