Evening star., 1918-02-24

ENHE fuel situation has occupied
the first columns on the front
pages OF newspapers and acted
S as the first thought in peoples
minds for the first time in the history
of the United States. The public has
heard much of production and trans
portation facilities, car shortage and n
lack of labor, the equaliZing of dis
tribution. etc, but probably the least
expensive and most practicable aid in
the solution of the problem, at least so
far as substitutes are concerned. lies
in the offer of the bureau of forestry,
attached to the Department of Agricul-
ture.
Expert foresters, with the consent OF
the fuel administration, are being sent
TO various states having much wooded
space to consult with the state fuel ad-
nlinistrators as to the best means to be
utilized in that section toward con-
serving coal by the wood route s. T.
Dana. assistant chief forester. bureau
Of invcstiga tion OF the bl&eau of for
cStry. was approached on the subject
and asked to tell Of the purposes plans
and activities Of the movement.
coal is destIuctibie resource" said
Nr- Dana, as he sat at his desk amid a
Pill" of papers which Indicated 1t hard
days work aud more To come when
once used il cannot be replaced. and
where drawn on heavil'-, is bound To
result in exhaustion. Wood. ON the
contrary. by proper management. can
be made to replace itself indefinitely.
That civilization will eventually
turn to wood is not a new theory. One
of our modern scientists. iIelmholst.
has calculated that one-fourtecnth of
the suns heat is rendered available for
use as fuel by the vegetable matter
produced mainly through its needs. So
Dietrich BrandeS. one Of the most IA
nous foresters the world has produced
and the father of forestry in British
India. estimated that the tropical for
ests. because of their density and rapid
world well supplied with fuel Tor all
time.
Not only the tropical forests. but
here in the temperate zone there are
enormous areas of forest aud wood
land. large part of which can he used
to the best advantage for fuel. since a
great deal OF small material must be
grown in the same area with high
grade products. and as such are termed
Trimmings with a value only for burn
ing. About a billion cords now stand
ing in this country can be used TO the
best advantage for that purpose. and
fke REMOVAL of this material would sc-
ruafiy improve the remaining stands.
Trees of poor form are almost uni
versally wasted unless used for fuel.
From the standpoint of forestry, we
hope that the present impetus brought
about by the coal shortage will lead TO
a broad development of the substitute
ing Of wood for coal as fuel. The in
creased utilization of fuel from farm
woodlands would he a most important
Accomplishment. financially profitable
as well Otherwise beneficial
Believing this. we took tho matter
up with the fuel administration not
long since. with a definite plan in
mind, and the offer of aid and the plan
were accepted. Bringing together gem
cies that should cooperate in the
rious states is making the plan a ste
cess already. Fuel administra tors,
state foresters. directors of agricul-
tural stations. county agencies and the
forest schools are helping one another.
Did you know that We have twenty
three schools of forestry that give de-
grees and ffty-six more schools where
forestry courses are given?
Which reminds me Of something
and here Mr. Dana smiled. at the same
time opening a drawer of his desk for
a Boston paper under date of January
30, 1918. From Nillianstown. Mass,
dispatch stated that professors. stu
dents, business men, state guardsmen
and others plunged through drifts
from six to eight feet deep today ak
on shoulder to cut cordwood for fuel
in this, the home town Of Harry A