Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-14
WARNS UNITED STATES .
TO CONSERVE FORESTS
New Chief Forester Pictures Way
Franco Handles Timber
Rcsourccs


WASHINGTON. May Irwin tho
newspapers of the United States only
two and three days ahead OF theIr
print paper supply and many OF them
throwing away advertising In order
10 continue publishing. the American
Forestry Association OF Washington
points TO the way France handles her
forests France teaches a great les
son TO this country. the association
says. and points to tho housing Hitua-
non ana the great demand for iun-
Der at this time in printing the warn
ing OF Colonel William Il. Greeley. a
director of the American Forestry As
ISOLATION and the new chief forester
or the United States. During the
war the biggest regiment in the
world. the Twentieth Engineers For
est, had an opportunity to get an idea
this subject Colonel Greeley, Of that
regiment. writes In the American For
est Magazine:
Describes French Methods.
"A lumbcrjack sergeant OF tho
Twentieth Engineers remarked that
the lumber business in France seemed
10 be concerned more with growing
trees than cutting them into boards.
That In nutshell is the difference be-
tween the timoeriand owner in France
and the timber baron of America. The
conception OF q forest as land produc.
Ing crop after crop OF wood extends
from the intensively managed public
forests Of France down TO the peasant
VINO owns half a hectare OF popiars
In swanpy bottom.
ITO US In the United States, who
are wont TO think OF forestry as pos
Eihle only for the nation or state. il
Is Of interest to know that two thirds
OF the wonderfully conserved forests
or France arc owned By private citi-
zene. Tho technical care Of these &C.
100000 acres OF private forests docs
In etaI
that given TO tho state ard communal
properties.
Grow Much Large Timber.
About 80 per cent of them. how
ever. are devoted to the production OF
hardwood fuel. with crops every
twenty years. whereas the aim of tho
public forests is TO grow an much
large timber as possible. Upon her
privately owned forests. France thus
depends for tho bulk OF her lumber
and fuel wood. Private forestry is
vital factor in her national economy
The hardwood coppice, or sprouts.
which furnish the bulk OF the wood
fuel OF The country and we're cut over
enormous areas TO keep the American
army warm. have an average value on
the stump OF probably 81 per cord.
The value OF 4 fuel crop grown on IL
well managed forest In twenty years
ranges from $50 TO $50 nm acre as IL
stands In the wood6: and an ad-
realized from the small brush or FACET
wood. The stumpage values or the
principal timber trees or France aver
aged. in 1917. at least Ave times the
prevailing prices OF similar species
In the United States. Maritime pine
stumpage In the Landes. comparable
to rather low grade. shortloaf pine IN
the Southern States. sold for around
3:s per thousand board feet Tho
OAK timber Of all grades. bought by
".
ana the upper watershed OF the
Marne. probably averaged s3s per
thousand board feet on the stump
The silver fire and spruce which We
Mountains. timber averaging six or
eight logs to the thousand feet. cost
about $50 per thousand standing in
tho !oreSi; but In buying seiected pill
thousand board feet. And do not over
look tho fact that these prices were
obtained for stumpaEe grown as thick
ms the species and class OF product
permit.
Lunsber Business Grows.
The lumber manufacturing indus
try has grown up upon and ada tied
Itself to system OF forest manage
ment which permits but small cut
t!ngs at any ono place In any ono
rare when the wnll being and perma-
hence OF the forcs, are sacrificed to
the requirements Of a manufacturing
enterprise-an exact opposite OF the
situation so common in the United
states where the manufacturer owns
Tho timber and has dcnuded one for
est region after another in order 10
SUPPLY his large, stationary mills to
their maximum capacity. While this
relation Is largely result rather than
n cause OF tho economic status OF pr.-
vate forestry In France. II indicates
the Industrial adjustments which will
become necessary IN America rs our
emphasis shifts from supplying saw
mills 10 growing timber.
Warning 10 United Stntc..
The situation of France today is a
striking warning that the United
states can lll-arord the national loss
OF Idle land. Public agencies doubt
less must assume the greater part or
the Immediate task OF growing timber
on our lido cut-ovcr land. But pub
l!cly owned forests cannot do all Of IL
In the United States any moro than In
France. Our national policy should
aim definitely and unequivocailv M
the practice OF forestry by private
owners as rapidly as that can he
brought about by letter methods or
taxing cumberland. by the co-opera-
ton and educa tional help OF State and
Federal agencies. and by the recog-
milton, on an equitable basis, OF the
obligations carried by forest owner
ship"
Limit German Tonnage.