The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-01-02

MAEW rapidly eXhauSting its TIM
IT, Der resources and at a
comparatively early date
may find itself largely dependent up
on foreign sources, Lieut.. Col. Henry
S. Graves, chief of the forest, service,
United States department of agricul-
ture. told the remedies that can be APP
piled, and the measures that can be
adopted, particularly in Indiana, Ohio
and Illinois, the three states for which
the conference was held.
"The solution of our forestry prob
lem," said Colonel Graves, consists
In stopping, destruction by fire and
other agencies, by using methods that
make possible natural reproduction
after logging. and by restocking the
tree growth Of lands that have been
made economic wastes. The fear has
been expressed by some that such an
objective conflicts with the expansion
OF agriculture and stock raising. Ex-
actly the contrary would be the re-
suit. No sane program of forestry
would propose the use Of lands for
forestry that are better adapted to
agriculture and settlement. Forestry,
agriculture and stock raising 60 hand
In hand.
in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio our
problem is essentially one of the
farm woodland. Here we have to do
with small tracts and operations. In
some ways the problem is a simpler
one than in the great lumber regions.
In the first place, the fire danger is
easily controlled. Then again the
work can usually be brought into close
correlation with other phases of farm
management. OF great value, also,
is the fact that the owner himself is
often the manager and can give per-
sOnal direction to the work Of for
estry.
I'm such circumstances the aid Of
the states may be directed to show
ing the farmer how to cut his wood
land in order to secure natural repro
duction, how to thin the young stands
so as to increase their growth and
value, how to reforest the lands now
waste, how best to market his wood
land products, and so on. Advice
should be afforded through the state
forester and the agricultural field
agents. Planting stock should be Of
fered at cost with assistance in estab-
fishing successful plantations. Coop
erative marketing enterprises should
be encouraged when this is practical"
Discussing the function of the fed
eral government in meeting the for
estry problem, Colonel Graves said:
"The federal government has not CIV
en- adequate assistance to the states.
Direct aid to the states by the gov
erDment, made contingent on adop-
ton by the former Of acceptable pro-
grams of forest legislation and admin
istration, would help to secure con-
current action In different states, en-
able the standardization of methods,
and enable the achievement of results
impossible without such aid.
'The first step in inaugurating
national policy Of forestry is a federal
law providing the authority to coop
crate with the states in formulating
and carrying out a program of for
estry, and carrying an appropriation
that can be used to assist such states
as inaugurate and put into effect
program determined to be adequate
by the secretary Of agriculture. A
great deal can be accomplished pend
ing such substantial cooperation, but
with the aid that the nation might
offer, results that otherwise would be
impossible could be accomplished"
The forest situation. Colonel Graves
pointed out. is of peculiar interest to
Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. All three
states have pressing problem of pro-
ducing homegrown forests. They are
also vitality concerned in the forest
situation in other parts of the coun-
try, for they are large consumers of
lumber and other wood products and
the greater part of what they use al
ready is brought in from other states.
illinois, Indiana and Ohio" he said,
together with the neighboring por-
lions of Michigan and Wisconsin.
constitute the most important center
OF manufacturing industries in the
country-that Is. the industries max
ing vehicles, furniture. railway cars,