The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-04-21

| work. IL q Ledcner OIL history uoSs Iiot
interest his pupils in the coming
| elections and cause them to apply past
| instruction to the questions which
| should decide the vote, he fails to
correlate the life of the school with that
of the world. Likewise, if a teacher
of geography, in discussing river and
harbor improvements, does not create
an active interest in any local improve
ments that may be under way, an
opportunity is missed. Thus forestry
should be taught as an integral part OF
related subjects. The work OF the
the important economic and public
questions in the life of the world.
Teachers are aware that there are
now before the people many problems
which are interviewer with forestry,
and that our citizens are seeking inform
alton to enable them to act wisely when
these problems confront them.
1t is unfortunate that little Is now
taught in the public schools which the
teacher can use as foundation tor In
culcating right views concerning these
problems. For example, suppose the
teacher lives in little town that is
being MANAGED by ever increasing
floods, and you are all familiar with
the enormous damage to property each
year at Havre de Grace, Port Deposit
and other towns along the Susauehanna
River by the spring floods that over
flow that river The teacher of
geography may tell pupils that these
floods are due to the removal of
the forests from that vicinity, and that
as they are further removed the floods
will become worse and worse, but the
pupils have possibly not been taught
anything about the influence of forests
upon stream flow and so do not really
understand the situation. They are
told a bare external fast and that is
the end of it.
But suppose they had been taught in
their nature-study work to observe
what becomes of rain water and snow
water, how exposed soil is washed and
quilted and whittier the muddy little
torrents transport their burden, how
various kinds of vegetation modify
these effect, how gently the rain falls
and slowly the snow melts in the
woods, and how absorptive is the forest
soil-in other words, the everyday
facts of erosion as they may be seen
in every child's door yard Can it be
doubted that the lesson of the flood as
related to forest destruction would
come home in terms of living exper-
fence.
There are perhaps few natural con-
ditions that have had a greater in
fuence upon the economic, social,
and political development of the coun-
try than it's forests. The development
of the larger industries was dependent
upon a ready supply of wood. The
~ which
where and grew rapidly into big,
busting commercial centers could
never had made such phenomenal
growth without ready access to the
products of the forest. Throughout
the wooded territory the sawmill fol-
lowed close upon the heels of the first
settler, and it was generally the saw
mill that marked the location of new
center of industry.
Wood forms the framework upon
which practically all great industries |
have been built, The influence of the |
forest upon the grander features of a |
peoples rise and progress is often over
looked by historians. Surely that in
fiuence has not been less potent than |
many of the features treated in text |
book, and class room.
The future progress of the country, |
nay, even the maintenance of the high |
state of economic and industrial develop |
rnent upon a future supply of timber. |
All industries are using wood, in in
quantities every year, and
like timber famine would
cripple them so that America would be |
in danger of losing the place among |
the leading nations of the world.
The preservation of the forests and
future lumber supply will be to a great |
extent in the hands of the younger
of farmers. 1t has been |
estimated that the lumber supply of |
the country will be exhaused in the |
next 80 or 40 years, unless there is |
some drastic movement toward preser-
and success of such movement |
is dependable upon the interest and
ability with which the problem is |
handled In the farming communities |
it remains for the teachers to incul- |
cate the preliminary training. In this |
it is well that it be under |
stood as | stated before that do not |
believe in over burdening the teachers. |
In this county they are now the least |
paid of all our public servants
and | am now and always have |
advocatd a proper adjustment of |
teachers salaries commensurate with |
the work they do, and sufficient to in |
duce them to put forth their greatest |