The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-10

lem but as yet no final report has
been made Indications are, how
ever, that most OF the former for
est area viii be replarted for for
est and in addition, especially In
the neighborhood Of the famous
Che,nin des Danes, some Of the
fields higher up the slopes which
were always more difficult to cul-
tivate. Will be purchased by the
state and incorporated as part of
the state and communal forest do
mains.
"Replanting Of the war-destroy-
ed forests with the 40.000,000 tree
seeds sent by the American Fores-
try Association is as yet progressing
very slowly. The removal of mu-
nition dumps and the great as
sortment Of dangerous weapons
and harbed-wire entanglements is
a tedious process. and even after
all that is accomplished the old
trunks must all be removed to
make ready for the seedlings. The
cutting of the old trees and con-
version to any sort of useful timber
is in itself a gigantic task, mas
much as thousands of ,metal pieces
from exploded shells must first be
chopped out by hand before the log
can go to the saw. at best, two
men can hardly prepare more than
half a dozen oak or beech logs in
a single day. Fire is here the
greatest menace to restoration
work, because once it gains any
headway the attendant explosions
Of buried duds and unexploded
grenades renders fire-fghting too
dangerous to attempt. In this way
several acres of new plantations
were destroyed during the past
summer.
1.-The Black Forest of Germany,
which has remained for centuries
one Of the worlds most famous
productive forest areas. passed
through the period of the great
war practically unscathed. Here
and there small cuttings were made
for war purposes, but it is quite
evident that the total volume OF
wood taken from most Of the Ger
man forests during the four years
Of war did not exceed the growth
during the same period. IN the ia
nous hardwood districts Of Ba-
yaria there has actually been con-
siderable increment in wood volume
due, no doubt. to the cessation
during the war Of furniture man
ufacture and similar industries re-
quiring high grade woods.
The German army got all its
timber from the forests Of north
err France and Belgium, which IN
most cases it cut clean; and while,
no doubt, hitherto unequalied de-
mands for pulpwood for the manu-
facture of cotton and linen substl-
tutes called forth an increased out
put, the general principles Of con-
servatism in forest treatment were
not destroyed.
Germany can. readily meet the
demands of Franc" and the other
allies for lumber reparations. Some
Of her most broadminded foresters
whom I met not only admitted this
but actually stated that such pol
icy might react to Germany's own
benefit Some of the richest and
most productive soil in Germany,
they said, is contained within the
limits Of her state and communal
forests, and in many instances a
policy Of destructive deforestation,
| which would permit the utilization
of additional land for food pro-
duction. is actually desirable
Before the war Germany was
necer able to produce more than
60 per cent Of the food consumed
by her population, and as long as
she is practically se;f-sustaining in
| forest production any addition to
her food-growing capacity would
| in view OF her present inability TO
buy from foreign nations. become
a real benefit.
Since 1914 the white pine blis-
ter rust which the American For
estry Association is combating in
the United States has made some
| headway in Germany. This dis
ease was of course known in Ger
many long before it came to the
United States. and it is probable
that it was introduced into Ameri-
! ca from that source. One OF Ger
many's best known foreS:ers. who
i mas charge Of the famous Heidel-
berg town forest. has made spe-
cial study Of the Blister rust He
observed that scattered white pines
seemed immune rom the disease,
and by successive processes of seed
/ regeneration he now claims to have
] deyeloped q tree that can Withstand