The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-24

The lack Of fuel during the present
winter has produced a feeling that our
woodlands have an additional import
ance as the source of material to keep
fires going
Up to this time timber had not been
considered a crop, but when little
"jags'' of stove wood retailed on the
streets of Jacksonville, Tampa, Pen
sacola and other cities at the rate Of
SIS or more per cord, the thought
was impressed that there might BE-
money in the firewood business, says
the state marketing bureau.
Wood can be planted and grown and
harvested just as any other crop. L
cane and grass, inasmuch as there
must be grown, gathered and sold
within a year. Wood on the contrary
requires years to grow to a size for
use as wood or lumber. If one holds
more there is deterioration, but wood
more there is deterioration, but wood
can be kept growing for many years
Even after cut and corded it can be
kept for longer time than other crops.
Until now woodlands have been re-
garded as something to be gotten rid
Of.
This probably is the result of an
abundance of trees and the necessity
for clearing land for cultivation. This
practice has continued also in the
form of wasting the woodlands even
where they were not cleared. This is
done by constantly cutting out the best
trees regardless of the use to which
they are to be put. After nothing
is left but inferior and scrawny trees,
the owner. seeing he has no valuable
-
clear it up, and applies the torch.
If a man is cutting wood for use on
the farm, such as f1rewood, etc, there
is always more than enough of the
class of the diseased, crooked and in
ferior trees to supply his needs. This
type of timber when removed not only
gives needed space for the freer
growth of the finer class Of trees which
are left, but also removes the breed
ing places of insects which attack
and injure other and better trees. If
man wishes to improve his wood
lands, he must leave his best species
and best thrifty trees of those species
in the stands wherever possible.
One very common form of injury to
woodlands, and one of the worst is
that Of burning over. Everyone knows
the fertility of the new ground. This
is due to the decayed vegetation which
has accumulated before the ground
was cleared. Not only does the ground
obtain decayed vegetable matter, but
it also receives nitrogen from the de-
caved leaves. When fires burn through
woodlands, great injury is done be-
cause they consume the leaf litter, de-
stroying both vegetable humus and the
! nitrogen, and the ground is impov-
erished for the production of new
tree growth, the result being a stunteti
stand. Where leaves have been burned
off on any woods area the soil be-
comes. in many cases, hard and baked,
and this also is an unfavorable con-
dition for the best production of wood
and timber. Another result of fire is
the injury done directly to the trees.
Hollow, rotten trees filled with insects,
at the butt are frequently broken off
by the wind. Is this not a too COM
mon sight? Insects find lodging in
these burned places and cause disease,
il not death, even when fires are small
and the trees heal over, a SCARED and
diseased condition remains, from