The Washington herald., 1913-11-23
Story Of Tree, Which, After Life Struggle Of LIS Years
Brings Farmer Us Cents as Crossties Has Aroused
Transportation Companies to Danger Of Future

ing foresters A number have taken ar
pert agriculturists into their service The
New York Central has established model
farms in the rich valleys west of the
Hudson that the Inhabitants for miles
around may learn how to plow, plant ana
reap by the latest ana most returning
methods. The Southern Railroad has
land specialist who counsels homeseekers
ambitious to become vrcnardists, cotton
growers. general farmers or gardners. A
man skilled in locating brickyards, cream
cries. mills and factories Is constantly
travelling the Southwest in behalf of the
Sante Fe Road. Of which Edward p.
Ripley. statesman among transporta-
tionists, is president. Mr.. Hill, creator Of
the Great Northern. is lecturing farmers
constantly. likewise villagers and city
folk in his territory. about their own bus
mess.
The philosophy Of IT all is clear. Rail-
roads want customers-crop growers and
manufacturers who ship things away and
consumers who require clothing, lumber,
kerosene, furniture and machinery, which
means freightage back in the same cars
that are hauling out crops. dairy products
and live stock. Alexander ]. Cassatt,
president OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
until his death, like Hin, was a man OF
imagination The vision OF a great man
ager Of transportation reaches far be-
yond his own generation. Some railways
are permanent institutions. Hartman was
building such railroad when he died.
Cassatt tunnelled the Hudson River. Mar
win Hughitt, of the Northwestern, spent
millions for a passenger station in Chi
cago.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has use for
100000 ties annually. There are five
ties in two trees and commonly twenty
trees of which ties can be made on an
acre. The yearly requirement conse-
quently is 100000 trees, or the equiva-
lent Of forest containing 5000 acres!
Cassatt, graphing with the figures, look
ing ahead in behalf of an institution,
started several forest plantations. Lo-
Gust trees were planted Such trees grow
slowly and stem-borers and twig-borers
put their lives in constant jeopardy.
Clifford Pinchot counseled the railroad
to obtain the services OF trained for
ester. In course Of time John Foley, one
of Pinchot's pupils, was authorized to
Superintend the locust plantation and to
plant others at his own discretion.
There are foresters and there are tree
doctors. A forester sneers at tree doc
tree pathology, but his business is not to
cure the siling or bind up the wounded.
Trees have chronic diseases, the same as
human beings. They also become senile.
A doctor naturally-tree, animal, or
man-holds 1t to be his dnty to proiong
life. On the contrary, a forester believes
in ridding a grove or a forest OF its
encumbrances. A fatally sick tree robs
the earth of the nourishment needed by
those which are strong and valuable
Il would dig such a tree up" John Fo-
ley said, land plant another, and my
practice would take in lawns and parks
as well as commercial forests"
Foresters Are Not Poefical.
Accurately sspeaking, forester is AMI
engineer and a business man. He Is as
unsentimentaI as the head sawyer in al
sawmiIl. who, squaring his log. is COM
PEELED instantly to decide, because hands
and machinery are waiting, whether It |
is best to cut boards, plank, or scant- |
lings. A forester subordinates beauty to
utility, though he will not reject beauty. |
provided there is no loss of time orl
money. He believes in protecting trees, |
but he also believes in using them. Trees |
are living things, the poet exclaims. So |
are beef cattle and poultry, answers the |