The Washington times., 1917-01-19
EXPECT Big THINGS
IN FORESTRY WORK
Over Four Hundred Experts in
Annual Session at the
New Willard

Meeting at the WllLgrd Hotel 10
day there Is a group a. men who
have come from all over the United
States. Many are tanned by the sun
and wind. hard-muscled and athletic;
others are keen business men. sharp
featured and keen-eyed. All have
come together for one purpose-to
discuss plans whereby the conserv4-
ton OF the forests In the United
States may become more extended.
For thirtyseVen years the Ameri-
can Forestry Association has been
holding annual meetings. IL began
with conventions which brought to-
gether few fHrsighted men VINO
had begun to wonder at the waste IN
American forests and become anxious
over the ending toward which 1t was
leading.
More Than 400 Present.
Today there are more than 400 II
these delegates meeting at the Will
lard. and some twenty-five or so came
all the way fIpm Canada. They have
made vast progress toward creating
legislation which conserves the for.
ests OF Uncle Sam. and the outlook
was bright for a country which might
ultimately have laws equal to those
OF Germany. the leading country in
this respect toward the careful con-
servation OF her forests.
Then arose fresh problem-a
problem these men are considering
today.
Just Shook Heads.
Some years ago, when the now
dreaded cotton boil weevil first made
its appearance In the cotton crops OF
the South, farmers solemnIy shook
their heads as they examined the
blackened result of the bolts work
on their fields of cotton.
Shaking their heads was about all
they did until the ravages of the boil
weevil threatened to play complete
havoc with the South's greatest asset
Then they woke pu and the Depart
ment of Agriculture, REINFORCED by
the farmers, now wholeheaftedly
alarmed and anxious to assist, began
fighting the pest. They haven't found
a remedy yet, but they know, much
more about the boil weevil than they
did before.
New Fungus Disease.
1t Is to avoid just such state or
delayed precaution that the foresters
are meeting today. Some years ago
a new fungus disease. imported from
Europe, began attacking the white
pines in this country. Now the dis
ease, unless stopped. threatens to de-
stroy more than $500. 900. 900 worth of
forestry in the United States.
In the anteroom of the meeting
chamber in the New willard are .ex-
hibits showing the work of this
fungus. The disease starts as a sort
of cancer under the bark, pushes II
up. and finally kills the limb or tree
entirely.
No remedy. except the precaution of
destroying the plants on which the
disease seems to feed. has been found.
Expect Preventive.
But with the members of the Ameri-
can Forestry Association, assisted by
worth against the disease before 1t
goes beyond the power of man to stop
1t, every indication is good for the
early discovery of a proper proven
tive.
Conservation OF forests means to
the majority Of people, keeping too
many trees from being cut down for
lumber and wood.
1t does mean that. but when it is
taken into consideration that CLOTH
insulation, paper, and even paving
blocks, are made from the by-products
of trees, the safeguarding OF Uncle
Sans trees means much more.
Models Show Effects.
There are small models which show
the effect of good and bad conserva-
ton of forests in the exhibition room
at the Willard. Bad treatment of a
forest means cutting down promiscu-
ously trees of every sort and descrip-
tion without regard to the trees
which are too young to modest. or the
destruction OF disease infected and
badly formed trees.
The result Is the death in a few
years OF a forest which with proper
care would give its yield of lumber