The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-04-15
CARE FOR FORESTS
THIS STATE IS ABOUT TO LOSE
IT'S VALUABLE TIMBER.
SHOULD Be REGULATED

Large Tracts Of Land Are Denuded Of
Their Natural Protection Against
Floods by Indiscriminate and Care
less Cutting Of Young and Imma-
ture Trees.
It will be question of only few
years more before the timber prob
lem Of South Carolina is serious in
the extreme. Great traces Of timber
land have been cut off during the last
ten years and the operations of many
sawmills have made great inroads
| into the available supply Of timber
in the Palmetto State. There are
several large tracts Of timber now on
the market in South Carolina and II
these are cut off, as they are quite
likely to be within the next two years,
South Carolina's timber interests will
have been considerably lessened.
Some of the largest tracts in the
State have been purchased by north
ern and western capital and the
dressed lumber shipped outside the
State to markets where it would
bring the highest prices. If you keep
in touch with conditions and events
you will note that when forests are
cut down by these lumber operators,
the small trees, which are valueless,
are also swept away and the ground
made desolate, so to speak, instead
OF cleaning out the larger trees and
leaving the young saplings to grow
and bring later revenue. This is one
of the evils Of the timber hog".
South Carolina has for years re-
garded her timber rights with little
regard. These seemed to be enough
in sight and ample timber to take
care of immediate needs. So, why
worry? The average man paid little
heed or had no concern in the future
cost of timber for construction pur-
poses fifteen or twenty years from
now. Wood sufficient for his fire.
place seemed the only issue when
considering the timber question.
But not so the men who have the
interests of State and nation at heart
! The question of forest reserves has:
become Of paramount importance.
The problem of conserving our nat
! ural resources is not new. Yet 1t Is
pounding on the front doors Of our
legislative halls for recognition, and
CRYING out against the shameful
wastes Of timber lords and hogs who
recognize no mans rights but their
own personal gain.
Our pine forests have become de-
pleted and by carelessness, many val
!; liable tracts have been almost de-
stroyed by fire. In some parts OF the
State where long leaf pine vas plenu-
/, full five years ago, there is hardly
hundred trees visible. Forest tres
over uncared-for tracts Of timber
land prove costly. One woman IN
/ eastern North Carolina had a large
tract of long leaf pine for which she
refused $4,000 and six months later
a negro, after he had been discharg-
ed. set fire to the forest and It was
sold later for $1,000.
This only illustrates the extent OF
damage by fire possible, and further
emphasized the importance OF caring
for valuable timber tracts so that ex-
tensive and damaging fires Will be
impossible. Ry proper trimming here
and there and cleaning up or burning
debris the amount of fire risks would
have been reduced to a minimum.
OF course. in thousands OF In
stances, land has been cleared OF
trees and stumps and converted into
profitable farming acreage, whereas 1t
produced nothing before but third
grade of lumber. But the point IS,
not enough emphasis Of Importance
is placed upon the value Of restocking
our forests or providing for the 1u-
ture. In Germany, for instance, a
certain area is replanted with young
trees every year to replace the nat
ural yearly consumption OF timber
through regular channels. II man
desires his son to be a rich man, at
the child's birth ten or twenty acres
Of land are planted with bland walnut
and at the age of 81 years the young
man is indeed wealthy. This Is a
system of conservation or providing
for the future entirely foreign to the
average American.
Our farm journals and agricultural
papers are filled with column after
column devoted to the ubjects OF
good seed. more power for the farm-
er. county fairs and such. subjects,
but not a line do you find as to the
value Of timber to any State and the
need Of restocking our waste areas
with some good quality of timber.
Prof. Charles A. keffer says: 1.-The
farmer man or boy. woman or girl,
who knows only the work OF the
farm, can not be as happy in his or
her living as the one who knows well
the life surrounding him; wild birds
and fishes ought to be very much
part of the society OF him whose home
is in the country
Prof. Keffer is right. Every farm
er, and his boys should study trees,
the different wood, park, branches
and development. With nursery
stock so cheap and the possibilities OF
orchards becoming more and more
apparent, there is no reason why pro-.
ftabie orchards could not be planted
on the acreage left vacant or desolate
by the woodchoppers.
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