The Washington times., 1914-12-17
By KENDRICK SCOFIELD.

Centuries ago some or the city fathers
OF the then infant European communi-
ties, with a foresight almost uncanny
In its estimate OF future values. set
aside large tracts OF woodland for the
benefit Of their municipalities. Some Of
those town forests" are standing to-
day-for they have been reforested from
time to time-and still afford a valuable
source OF income
And something of this town forest"
spirit of the early jewellers in Europe
has come across seas to the United
States. and the establishment of such
tracts is a question which both the
Department of Agriculture and the for
estry service give encouragement.
Statistics compiled by DR.. Frank
Crane. who has interested himself in
this question. show that last year more
than $4,000 was added to the city treas
ury of Baden-Baden, Germany, from
l2,S49 acre woods-paSture-the town
forest" OF that communicated many
other German communities, including
Heidelberg. Pforsheim, Frankfort. and
Forbach own tracts of timber, some of
which net them as high as Sl2 per acre
per annum.
In perhaps half dozen communities
in the United States, town forests
have been established along sciehtific
lines for the purpose of providing a
municipal revenue. On the other hand.
there are thous .Gs o. llwn forests
which have been established for 4
vastly different, although quite as
utilitsrian a purpose
Boston's Fells.
The average town foros. IN he Uni
ted States-the largest one belongs to
the municipality OF Boston. is known
as the FEELS" and stretches from the
coast miles inland-protect the natural
watersheds which feed the water
sources of the different cities maintain
ing them. The,forests controlled by the
water board Of Boston are of great val
ue to the reservoirs OF the city. These
woodlands. recently reforested with
conifers, chief among which species are
the white pines. form a natural pro-
lection against pollution, besides exer-
cising a purifying effect upon the air
and inducing rainfall
prevent the inundation OF surrounding
territory by floods, as well as checking
the flow OF rainwater.
Besides the big Massachusetts forest
maintained by the Boston water supply
authorities. there are many other SINH
Is estimated that twenty-five or thirty
such wooded areas are maintained
either on watersheds or for commercial
and recreative purposes in the terri
tory lying north and east of the Ma
tional Capital.
Keene. y. H., has two or three
square miles of forest, handled not as
watershed adjunct. but on strict
forestry basis.
Controlled Privately.
A 3,oOO-acre tract is maintained by the
private corporation supplying the water
to Nashua, y. H.. and in northern New
Jersey there is a vast acreage also con-
trolled privately for the same reason.
1t is believed that New York city
will soon establish such preserves TO
protect the feeding streams which sup
ply water to the new reservoirs.
Although il is not strictly in accord
with the town forest idea, many cities
in the country-Washington among
them-have recently begun adding to
the city foliage. and in a way the rea-
sons for such policies are quite similar
10 those which argue in favor OF the
municipal woodlands, the publication OF
the air and the inducing OF greater
rninfal.
The older inhabitants OF Washington
who remember the period which immed
etely followed the civil war. declare that
the change in climatic conditions no
ticed here for tho past decade can be
at least partially traced to the new
growth OF timber which has sprung up
around the suburbs since the days Of
the sixties At that time, II is pointed
out, the wooded ridges about the city
were cleared so that the trees might
not interfere with the range of can
non, while other stretches were burned
off to prevent the enemy from taking
advantage of the cover they afforded.
And in the reconstruction years. be-
fore the second growth" IL il as
serted that the rainfall decreased con-
siderably and the heat in summer De-
car1e more intense.
Brooklyn, y. Y. has recently inaugu-
rated A campaign for the planting OF
trees about the city. Under conditions
existing there now, each citizen IS
urged to purchase a tree. These trees
are obtainable for about IS from the
park commission, who plant the trco
and care for IL afterward. guaranteeing
to replace II II it dies within three
years.