Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1914-06-19
LETTER FROM G. K. ELLIAGs0N
Interesting Letter From Hawkins
Man Now Enjoying Visit to
Norway
Bergen, Norway, May 81, 1914
Editor News-Budget,


Ladysmith, Wis, U. S. A.
| Dear Strive have now been in
Norway "a days and have seen most
of the important cities and the best
farming districts in southern Nor
way. The cities of note which we
have visited are Kristiania, Hamar
Ojvik, Kongsberg, Notodden, Skien
Postgrund, Tonsberg, Drannen, Hone
foss and Bergen.
All over the country can be seen
positive proof of rapid advancement
and progress along industrial lines
Manufacturing plants of all kinds are
springing up, the mighty water falls
furnishing cheap power These factor
| les are often so located that the
| product can be loaded directly onto
| ocean liners and transported direct
| ly to foreign lands Probably the
most remarkable industry of the
country, at the present time, is the
manufacturing of Salt-peter, Nitric
Acid and other like products. Several
of these factories, utilizing the enor-
nous water power which the streams
of this mountainous country develop,
have been erected at cost of over
a million dollars each. This raw ma
terial used consists of the atmOs-
phere and a lime stone of which Nor
way possesses unlimited amounts.
This business is reported to be very
successful. Another great industry is
the manufacturing Of pulp and paper.
Norway boasts that she can supply
all Europe with paper (This depends
on how long her supply of timber
will hold OUT They claim to have
increased their forests during the
last 10 years, and site this as proof
that their forests will never give out.
When l look over their excellent
forests and consider their system of
re-foresting their cut over land | too
have become convinced that Norway
will maintain her mighty forests as
long as she maintains her present
system of tree planting. This system
is an excellent one and far above
that which is practiced in Wlscon-
sin. Norway, as Wisconsin, has sew
eral Agricultural Experimental Sta
tons in various parts of the coun-
try. These in addition have a For
estry School and produce probably
millions of sprouts of various kinds
of trees which they deem advisable
to plant in this climate. The prin-
cipal trees planted are Norway pine
and spruce. Here | might say that,
while | grant that l am not a COM
petent Judge as to what should be
done in Norway, still | believe that
leaf trees, such as, beach, elm, ash,
oak. maple, lind and Wisconsin red
birch should be planted rather than
needle trees, as the leaf trees
have far greater commercial value
and as we in Wisconsin know, there
is not a more fertile soil found than
that which has been fortified for
centuries by the falling leaves of the
hardwood or leaf forest. The needle
trees impoverish the soil while the
leaf trees enrich and build it up i'm
mensely.
In the local school districts the
teachers are practical foresters and
teach forestry to the pupils, that is
as far as planting and care for trees
go. When any land owner wants any
of his land replanted the sprouts
are furnished free of charge and are
planted by the school children UNI
der the supervision of the teacher
The Norwegian motto is "Vor man
like kan slaa, og vor plougen eli ken
gaa der skal ct tri staa." (Where
one can not NOW and where the plow
can not go, there shall a tree stand)
| Tree planting is not to be done on
ground which can be used for agrl-
cultural purposes or in other words
only where forests are the most adj
vantageous crop which could be
raised on the land in question. This
system has many advantages over
our system, as it produces forests in
every part of the state, not as with
us in only one corner, hence support
manufacturers of forest products in
| the various sections of the country
and this mighty REPRESENTATION WORK
is carried on practically without any
additional officers Or commissioners
hence. practically without any add
tional burden to the tax payers; fur
Their as the forests planted are ano
remain the individual property of the
land owners, he protects it agains
fire and other destructive agencies
this also at no cost to the tax pay
ers. AS land and forests remain II
private hands the state and commun
ity receive revenue from it in taxes
while in Wisconsin large areas ar
| bouobt nv, tbo ctato for thn OIlrDOSt