The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-03-24
FORESTRY.
Fssay by Miss Marian Heal, Senior
=" in the Belfast High School.

o,. Of the most important of our
..i,ral problems has arisen from the
,;.,oyary that our forest resources may
.,roer be considered as inexhaustible.
n. reservation of what is left of the
,i7los- hmitless. forests that formerly
..,sr.a at least one-half of the CONT
,n, Rss become a matter of insistence.
A.. d matter of fact the forests are init
..,s.y associated with the material well
t.rs ii practically every industry and
.aswrss Consequently, the preservation
= s forests means the promotion of
H., General welfare of the common
r.s.t6 In itself the lumber industry
.oosz fourth among the great industries
,f tr4 country. The exhaustion of hard
,.,..t SUPPLIES means the loss of that in
-.str F.. the States where it now -four
,sr.s Al the present rate of cutting
n. - SIS cannot meet demands. The
rios about the Great Lakes are al
mas. minated, and great inroads have
ss.r ra44 on the supply throughout the
,o1--- Without hard wood for build
ra Sos. furniture, railroad ties,
.sntL rooperage, telephone poles, and
sr. a Implements, the loss would
bs.-. shle Such failure would be
a.r-- that of crops, for in case of
,as it means suffering for but
,rs ,- Years, while there would be
fiji. --s- ..on Of wood within a genera
.fr estmated that unless some
l-,s M IS taken the supply will be
.y.s H fifteen years. The tendency
f. f- -tasttution, but the substitution
NJ e.o1 and concrete for hard wood
m,.- aluction in demand or cost of
rs. .Yu and is generally unsatisfac-
;av wood has neither the strength
NM s.l wv of hard wood, and in many
qss-- ut be substituted for it. Con-
;sr4u # national resources is national
sar IGst as conservation of private
r4solr. PERSONAL economy, but it de-
14n.. ... he extent and nature of that
4cornr aether it is beneficial or harm
h- 7- should be neither wasteful
rs. G ~Ilrces. nor that greatest waste
al Fl. al disuse of them, but that eco
ram So which, in the end, will have
VT .a lu. greatest good to the greatest
r-... preservati ton of the forests,
ut-rg sely, but never more than they
rs.. wee. enables US to draw from a
pgrsil supply certain quantity OF
mat Tor building, furniture, and fuel.
Th- .-4a. value of forests as fuel pro-
dl.sg admitted on every hand, and
5elaqs # the growing cost of coal their
INN -9ee in this particular is likely to
mr. rather than diminish.
IN. 4test enemy of the forest is
at v-eh often sweeps away forests
ml sa setting back the return of
value forests to from one to three
|Qltu-He There is no estimation of
hrys Tres and the loss caused by
ten The forests should be protected
b. public authorities, but the fact has
IN Yt met complete legal recognition.
IT. u!gh annual tax is also a great
gsn, 10 the forests. The forests
IbHrg revenue only after a period
IL wars after Telling, and by the pres
|e- tem the growing crop is taxed.
|0iwgrs there is no fairness to this sys-
,s. az if kept up it will cause the for
ss asappear. Laws, by which boun-
9 ranted for treeplanting and the
aEa- purely forest areas is remit
|ia cen enacted by the States.
vt careful attention has been
n"'.ed upon the problem of forest
ws mn, and will doubtless result in
G will check wasteful methods
of timber. Schools of for
@' been established in several
s. Yet forestry in America
n- st and least understood of all
In Germany the forests are
IS the lives of their wild ami
their forestry department is
On best organized institutions of
u5 s the world. To Germany, es-
para must we look for our examples,
r. a an not always use their methods
R7'H them. We must adapt them
Nolr oliition. The National Forests
eaorsc. about 1914, 500, 900 acres and are
SNtr YER 1000, 900, 900. A great step
Was 'arn when the administration Of
1e'e t0r-sts was transferred from the
ueIdr'u ut of the Interior to the De-
F'mna' Of Agriculture. There is much
lSl0d-Fstanding over the question Of
iNe5' -- rves. 1t is caused doubtlessly by
R5wor reserves. The idea is form
y 17at ne government is keeping the
Uexs from public use, when in fact the
SWetnW Mt acts as trustee to the pub
ny plan ng, nourishing, and protecting
We Tor and preventing the cutting of
u'Tpt -ber. There are 5000 men in
uF Forest Service, 250 of whom
OCCASIONAL foresters; 1900 men
'Io. aard and shelter the timber of
''''aa .orest land. The general gov
'uert .ssued laws by which the public
s@0F.l and on the condition of planting
Hat portion to trees, but these laws
,'h improperly prepared, interpreted,