St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-09-17
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roots are in contact with soil mos
ture. In last weeks article concern
ing orchards quotation was made
from Prof. Roberts writings which
indicate the reasons for the benefit
| to trees from drainage, and those
I reasons apply with equal force and
truth to the forest trees, excepting
j only those whose natural habitat is
the swamp.
This year, as l have been inforn,-
ed by lumbermen, on account Of
droughty conditions, has been a lis
astrous one to the pine forests. III
years OF excessive drought trees on
badly drained land suffer and many
die. Likewise in years OF excessive
wet weather trees in these locations
are killed. Therefore it becomes
clear to anyone acquainted with these
facts that trees standing on badly
drained lands would be benefited by
proper drainage.
Although it is true that a tree ordi-
narily grows best under those condi-
tions to which it has ecome accus-
toned, that is true only when such
conditions remain stable. Trees
which have become established on
badly drained lands are, as we have
just seen, the very ones which sue
cumb first when an adverse season Of
either excessive wet or excessive
drought comes. Now, the chief ad-
vantage Of drainage is that it stabil-
ICES conditions and thereby affords
the tree opportunity for continuous
and unchecked growth, and as pine
thrives best on well-drained lands it
is probable that in locations unfavor-
able to standing trees drainage would
pay for its cost in the saving ami
increased growth Of such timber, and
in no case would drainage be an in
jury.
Drainage An Aid To Timber In
dustry.
The timber land owners will be
profited by the early accomplishment
OF drainage. AS their cut-OVer acre
age increases, it represents an in
creasing burden to the timber indus
try. 1t represents tied-up capital in
unproductive lands. The longer
these unproductive lands are held
the less is the likelihood of deriving
amy profit from them, for the capital
invested in them is being constantly
increased by interest charge and
taxes, SO that in proper accounting
thirty or forty years hence to pre-
vent q loss they would have to sell
at eight times their present selling
price. Or consider that in less than
ten years hence they will have to sell
at double present values, the imprac-
ticability of delay in drainage at once
appears. 1t is to advantage Of own
ers of cut-over land to cash in to the
best possible advantage before the
possible profits on "a sale are eaten up
by taxes and interest.
With over a hundred million acres
of cut-over lands practically now on
the market, the returns on refores-
tration too low to encourage new in
vestment of capital on that account,
and the hesitancy of farmers (whO
usually have too small capital for
development) to undertake the trans
formation Of these lands into farms,
the problem of saving himself from
loss acutely faces the timberland
owner as soon as he has removed the
virgin timber.
He has had the experience Of the
slow demand for cut-over lands for
farming purposes, and here in this
parish are cut-oVer Lands which have
lain bare over twenty-five years,
neither growing timber nor sought
as, farm lands. The reason is not
far to seek These lands which
would be highly productive under
drainage, without it cannot be prof