El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-14
Chief Forester Graves Tells
Of Work of Raising a Crop
Of Trees.


Forestry gave way to fun Monday
night when the officials of the forestry
service were entertained at an infOr-
nal supper and smoker in the main
dining room of the St. Regis hotel H
S. Graves chief Of the forestry bureau,
Capt James B. Adams. assistant chief
forester; a. c. Ringland, district for
ester and the supervisors for the third
forestry district were present at the
supper which was given by the city and
chamber of commerce
In addition to the fOresters a large
number Of representative citizens. in
Guiding mayor Z. Z Kelly, the county
and city officials and directors Of the
chamber of commerce were present.
Robert G. Fowler the aviator, was also
one Of the invited guests and spoke as
part of the informal program
McNary Introduces Graves.
J. G. McNary acting as the informal
POSTMASTER, introduced chief forester
Graves with a brief talk regarding the
work Of the forestry service and the
part its chief was playing in this i'm
pOrtant work.
The chief forester acknowledged the
compliment that had been paid him and
the men who We're assisting him in the
administration OF the national forests.
He then explained the different
problems connected with the forestry
service and the Importance Of the CO.
operation Of the service and the public
who are directly interested in the ad
ministratiOn OF the forest reserve.
Raising a Crop of Trees.
''The problem of forestry differs from
all other problems Of conservation
especially from agriculture in the great
extent of time it takes to raise a crop
of trees" he said. Lumber placed on
the market from virgin forests is taken
from trees which have been growing
from 100 to 200 years under unfavor-
able conditions and under favorable
conditions about 20 years after sowing
the seed. This is a problem hard to
solve and will not be solved through
the private ownership of timber lands
1T is essential to public interests
that there be forests and there IS a
great benefit to a country to have
timber supply. If the timber supply
falls short in a country and substitutes
for timber are not made. the United
States may fall back on Importation,
but this would not be long, as sur
Tey Of forest resources show that we
must be self supporting in this. Cana
da's supply is being used up and what
is leTt is needed for Its own use. Other
countries woods do not meet the re-
Quirements ours do.
Must Increase the supply.
In the United States the demand is
three times what the forests are pro-
ducing and so this means that we must
increase the supply of the product and
eliminate the waste in increasing this
supply These statements do not mean
that there is a timber famine aDpar-
ent but the continuance Of many in
dustries in the country depend on the
existence of forests.
Lands suitable for forests should be
retained for public forests and agricul-
tural lands suitable for agriculture
should be retained for these purposes
and should remain in private owner
ship as the conservation of the food
supply of the. land has already been
tain slopes not suitable for agricultural
should be turned into timber
lands
zone Of the gratifying things is that
the business man is beginning to ap-
preciate some Of the important prob |
lens of conservation and is aiding US /
to work out these problems. Fifteen or /
20 years ago lumbermen either ridi- !
culed or opposed forestry Today the /
best friends of conservation are these Z
same men. They are interested In con-
because it means a continu- I
ance Of the lumber business. This 1
change of sentiment is occurring all 1
over the country.
People Favor Conservation,
The majority Of the people e29 ready J
to stand for conservation of the for
ests. But the controversies arising from /
he administration Of the forest re-
serves is cOuSing US the most trOu-
Die Most of these have been ques-
ions of Withdrawals. There is much
leeQeQ LEGISLATION dS TO COuLEOl OF tuESe
and laws regulat' water
power, oil phosphate, etc. But what I
I'm anxious to have in the forestry I
ervice is cooperation between those who I
ave charge of the lands and those who
ire directly interested in them, while I
It the same time to protect the public's !
interest"
Burgess Follows Graves.
r. T. Burgess followed Mr.. Graves.
Who said that FL PasO had been hOnOred
" being selected as a meeting place
or the forestry supervisors without So
icitation This, he said enhanced the
leasure of the entertainment He said
hat forest conservation must neces-
arily be in the hands of the govern
lent for the average individual did not /
7ish to wait 100 years to mature a
rop.
1T is not often that FL Paso has a
nance to get in touch with the higher
representatives of the federal govern
lent" Mr.. Burgess said. when we do /
7e try to tell them our troubles The
orestry service is protecting the Alamo
crest reserve. It was with intense sat
sfaction that FL PasO watched the gov
rnment take steps to protect and ex-
end the forest reserve which is near
st to Ell PasO But we are not salts
led with this.
There is now in the national con-