The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-04-18
rec Industry
IS Very Knaf
In the South from Many
Points of View as Point
ed Out Clearly.

SAShSe hSiu III connection Win
the Nashville meeting OF the South
efn Commercial Congress was
opened on the afternoon OF
April 8. The presiding officer was
Henry s. Graves, chief forester OF
the United States Department OF
Agriculture. In opening the confer
ence Mr.. Graves spoke as follows:
! I'm my consideration of the indus.
trial development of the South, the
problems which stand out as most
important are those connected with
agriculture and forestry. The
South is favored with climate and
sol! especially advantageous both for
agriculture and for the production
ofests. Its cut of lumber aggregates
I, some twenty-four billion feet year,
or over half that is used in the en-
tire nation. Other Industries bring
no value of the products of the for
& ests today to upwards of $50 million
dollars.
Louisiana now stands second
only to the state of Washington in
the production of lumber, while
Mississippi, North Carolina, ArkaR-
sas, Virginia and Texas are all
ahead of any other state. The lum-
her industry of the South employs
some $4,000 persons, and the allied
Industries require over 5000
more. We are dealing with prob
lem of gigantic proportions and one
which touches the welfare OF the en-
tire nation.
ut is of vital Importance to the
South that the land suitable to agri-
culture be devoted to that purpose
and Just as rapidly as possible be
actually used for the growing of
crops. There is. however, vast
area of land, some OF it in great
blocks in the mountains and else
where. and some in small patches
within the agricultural areas, which
is suited only to the growth Of
trees. Many persons point to great
floods like those we are now having
and insist that forests have moth
ing whatever to do with the control
of water. This is as absurd as would
be a statement that forests abso.
lutely prevent large floods. They
are, however, only one factor and
may be entirely overbalanced by
other factors like long continued
rainfall or sudden thawing of snow
in the mountains. The Geological,
Survey is developing some very i'm
portant and interesting facts
regarding the influence OF forests on
erosion in the South.
Our problem touches the method
of handling the forest in a way to
benefit the South permanently. The
bulk of what is put on the market
is from timber 1850 years old and
upwards. The cutting takes place
without reference to a new crop of
trees and we still have that greatest
enemy of the forest, fire, which pre-
vents the establishment of new!
growth. Moreover, the forest fires
are primarily responsible for the
damage resulting from erosion and
disturbances of stream flow in the
mountains. Unless there is a cor
rection of the existing conditions
the supply of forest products will not
be maintained, local industries will
decline or vanish, land values will
be permanently reduced, and the
benefits arising from the mere exist
ence of we'll managed forests will be
lost. with unfortunate results.
There is no region except the
far Northwest where forestry is so
simple and the results so sure as il
the South. 1t is entirely practicai
to secure from the area which should
be permanently in forests from
twenty to thirty billion feet in the
long run, by annual growth, if the
forest is properly handed. MueA
OF TINS area is in the mountains and
the very management for timber
production will secure the indirect
lsneflts of the forest.
"The desired end can not be ac-
complished at once. Our efforts
must be organized We must with
all forces, national, state and pri-
vate, endeavor to overcome the fire
menace. The public must aid In
the matter OF uniform, consistent
and sane system of taxation, while
private owners must accept their
responsibilities and handle their
property in way which will build
MP and not injure the interests of
=== =======---
ST,n aaPS, SS..SN .,a,.o..a,. S>>>>>.>