Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-16
Conserving Gods Bounty.

| The United States has maze It's
| first timber sale on the newly pur-
CHASED Appalachian forests. and the
voucher that established the fact has
been an object of interest in the hands
sof the officials of the Department of
lAcrieultire who have had occasion 10
handle it, The voucher itself does not
show what the character of the sale
Twas. but inquiry has drawn forth the
Information that the material disposed
of was 81 worth of logs. bought by
Georgia farmer To use in building
barn. This apparently insignificant
. transaction is regarded as n foretaste
of the future when the Government.
Twill he taking in a tidy revenue from
the forest lands which it is now buy
| ing in the East.
| These lands are being bought pri-
gress held, in providing for their pur-
chase that the Constitution prohibits
the Government from buying lands
I! for these western forests except AT thu
! headwaters of navigable rivers, and
: for the purpose of regulating stream
How and preventing the sitting up Of
the channels OF commerce. Yet the
production of timber will also be made
one of the objects of applied forestry
as, the Government will practice it on
these areas Latest purchase, made
Hast February, was $4,000 acres in
North and South Carolina and Geor-
gia, on the headwaters of the Savan-
nan River. and brought up the total
(which has been bought to 100000 acres
Tor this 10000 acres are In the Southern
/ Appalaehians. and 10000 in the White
Mountains.
Not all of the land is we'll timbered
now, for the Government in many
cases can not afford to pay, the value
lof land and heavy timber together
consequently most of the land ac-
lquired has been culed or cut over or
lelse sold to tho Government with the
Preservation by the owner of the right
Ito cut and remove the timber under
methods prescribed by the Forest Ser
Twice. Nevertheless, sales of material
Twill doubtless be made from time to
thine. and will increase in number and
lyalue as improved forests grow up on
lthese areas, under the stimulus OF
lproper forest management and protec-
Ition from fire.
| Government work along these lines
has already opened the eyes of tim
lberland owners and lumber operators
The forester who was laughed at by
practical" lunhermen only a few
years ago, is now the accepted heat
of a respected calling. The develop
lment of old methods and old convic-
tons into modern timber getting, il
entertainingly described in Holman
DAVIS story, ION Misery Gore" nov
running in the Youths Companion.
When we consider these things WI
are appalled, by, and ashamed of, tn
wanton waste of God-given resource
in other days. At first we sneeret
and Knocked at the pioneer minds tina
sought to lead us from our piteou
laundering. The men who dug deel
into the science of things butted thei
heads against solid wall of igno
rance and unbelief.
One by one the marvels of scientific
, revelation in the last score of years
: have been drilled through a hardened
casing of custom. habit and supersti
ton.
First we began to accept. grudging
ly, some Of the things repeatedly dem
? onstrated and proved to us. Then w
less contemptuonsly listened and look
, ed al the dreams" of the crazy sci
!. entists.' Still later we condescendet