Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-01
QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT

While the conservation OF our agricul-
tural resources includes a consideration
of soils and live stock. we must NOT over
look the Importance which forests and
timber will play in the future welfare or
the human race. Man must be sheltered
from the elements; he must also have
material out OF which 10 build fences and
outbuildings for confining his sock. he
must have a cheap source of fuel. and
IN addition. there is much waste land on
every farm which can and should only
be utilized for timber purposes This
subject will be touched on by others. ana
therefore viii not be enlarged on further
than 20 say that a visit GO the western
section OF our country and an examina-
ton OF some OF the primeval forests ex-
fxtirz In the government reservations in
dicates that in no section can trees he
grown more rapidly and advantageous
Is than In the southeastern states. and
particularly In Georgia Trees may be
made a source Of income quite as much
as plants or animals. Let us take
thought for tomorrow and devote some
OF the waste. eroded lands of the state
20 the purpose which nature intended
them 20 serve. To do II now should he
our motto and not when nature by seem
fngly harsh methods has forced us 70
respect her dictates. BY doing il now
state and a patrimony handed down to
postery which they have righc TO ca
pect their forefsthers TO leave them as
fnte-- gent citizens Of a great democracy
IL would not be proper to conclude this
discussion without considering some OF
the tremendous losses which are SUI
fered from diseases OF plants and in
sect pests. and which We do comparative
~ little 20 combat- This is particularly
Errwsf wn# II
Georgia alone the destruction from cot
ton viii and anthracnose mounts into the
millions every year. The loss from the
cattle tick is truly appalling yet com
paratively little is Oeing done 70 ward off
ard eliminate these destructive agencies
The average American citizen objects TO
taxation. and his objection may be well
founded. but il Is suicidal to hesitate TO
appropriate the comparatively small
sums Of money needed To hold In check
and finally eliminate such diseases as
cotton wilt and anthracnose. This result
can surely be accomplished through the
development Of immune strains of plants.
while the life history OF the cattle tick
Is now so thoroughly understood that II
II simply a matter OF little attention
20 details and its permanent destruction
will be assured. II does not seem reason
aU8e that the farmer himself would be
the cause OF spreading such dlsease
as cotton wilt or anthracnose from one
plantation 20 another, or that he would
hesitate to have the state appropriate
any sum OF money needed to insure the
stamping out OF a trouble which causes
the Individual citizen a loss annually Of
anywhere from s. TO SO. Various agen-
cies are at work IN this state 10 secure
immune strains Of cotton to these diseases
and when they are in general use a loss
now conservatively estimated at from
$1,000 600 TO s20,o0o.00o per annum can be
prevented for all time TO come
Finally. any thorough discussion of the
subject OF agricultural conservation must
give consideration TO the frightful loss
OF human energy. II is not uncommon
20 meet with men and women whose
lives have been so severely circumscribed
as TO have made them nothing beyond a
mere existence. Yet these people live in
universe Of abundant opportunity They