The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-03

great was the fall thereof"
The Conservation OF The American
Forests.
IBy Ray Dibble.
Conservation is one of the most
significant words in the English
language. Behind it lies a broad,
interesting field, ready for the stu
dent, who will find it to be a prob
lem confronting everyone in daily
life. To some it may mean protec-
ton; to others, preservation; while
to all it means economization. In
connection with the forests, con-
servation is a worldwide question.
Practically every civilized country
on earth is doing something toward
the frugality of it's lumber supply.
Though conservation has been argu-
ed in America for the last ten or
fifteen years, it is only lately that
the people of the United States have
come to the full realization of it's
vital significance. At a recent Gov
ernors' meeting at Washington,
James J. Hill said: 1--WE are yearly
consuming from three to four times
as much timber as the forest-growth
can restore" The conserving of our
forests implies three requisites-the
protection and preservation of the
living trees, the saving and using
of those left to decay, and the eco
nomical use of all lumber.
In the protection and preserva-
tion of human interests, trees are
of the most vital importance. The
devastating spring floods at Pitts
burg are due to an inadequate num-
ber of trees upon the Appalachian
slopes. Again because of the lack
of forests, the Mississippi river is
estimated to be yearly transporting
twice as much sediment as is being
eXcavated from the Panama Canal.
Although it is needless to enumer-
ate the many important uses of lum-
ber and bark, we fail to comprehend
the ultimate fatality of this stupend-
Gus consumption. From Clifford
Pinchot we learn that if the pres
ent rate of consumption continues,
"a single generation" will suffice to
completely exhaust our vast lumber
resources. Two of the worst enc
mics with which the forest preserv-
er has to contend are the wasteful
! lumber corporations, and the ruin
| Gus forest-fres. Some of the op-
| pOnents to forest conservation have
the idea that the reservation of Ma
tional Forests constitutes their eX-
/ clusion from public use. On the
: contrary they are open to prospec-
J tive miners, settlers, cattle and
| sheep herders, who will obey the
forestry laws. Also the involved
countries derive ten per cent. of the
! tn1 into 4
uses.
At the present time the govern
ment is the most extensive forest
conserver in the United States. A
recent report from the Bureau of
| Forestry showed one hundred fifty
million acres of forest lands under
| governmental supervision. The pro-
lection and regulation of these i'm
mense tracts necessitates the en-
ployment of experienced forest
rangers. These men receive a prac-
tical training in scientific forestry
either in state universities, or in
special forestry schools. Upon grad
uation they are Immediately assign
ed to district in which to COM
mence their duties. The latter are
almost innumerable, but their prin-
cipal tasks are the periodic burning
of the brush after light snow fall,
/ the scientific cutting of the older
trees, and the discovery and preven-
tion of forest-fres. To accomplish
the latter, they perform seminal
duty from the highest point in their
respective domains. AS an aid in
summoning the assistance of other
rangers, telephone communication
has been provided in most all the
| reservations. Another government
tai method of conservation is the
tree nurseries, where the seeds are
planted and the sprouts raised un-
! til ready for transportation. The
railroads practice still other forms,
which are great help. They find
1t necessary to buy enormous guam
titles of timber in the shape of
cross-ties. During the years nine
teen hundred five and six, they eX-
perimented with wood treated with
a preservative, either creosote or
zinc chloride. This proved such a
success that by nineteen hundred
eight, twelve of our large railroads
were operating wood preserving
! plants of their own. The wood may
be of poor quality, but when thus
treated, lasts from two or three
times as long as previously. Dur
ing the last few years the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad has reserved several
thousand acres of forest-land, in or
der to meet their future demands
for lumber.
Some of the cities of Europe have
established municipal forests. Ger
many encourages this by taxing nc
forests until cut. The city of Baden,
Germany, owns one hundred thous-
and acres, yielding a net income OF
six dollars and twenty-five cents per
acre. Freiburg owns eight thous-
and, Heidelberg seven thousand
while the two hundred twenty in