Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-04
]. S. TREES GROW
FAST IN FRANCE
Seedlings Sent to Cover Up
Battle Scars Make
Rapid Growth

washington. Dec. 3.-American
seedlings, fast growing into mighty
trees, already are beginning to heal
the war Scared areas of Europe. Not
only are they being nurtured In France
and Belgium but in Great Britain also
and in Ireland.
The French ministry has ordered
that the seedlings shall be located in
travelled roads. and. IL possible, near
| well known sites with the view that
such future forests shall remain as a
| monument to the partnership of
France and America in the Great
War" The same sentiment also pre-
walls In Great Britain which actually
lost more forest cover than any other
country by the sudden demands of
war for materials. In Belgium In tho
once beautiful Ardennes where the
German axe left nothing standing the
bea autiful American Douglas fir In
lifting its head.
Arthur Newton Pack of Princeton.
N. j. has just made report to the
American Forestry. Association, which
supplied the seedlings. after three
months inspection of the paintings.
He reports the trees everywhere are
regarded as growing monuments to
cordial relations between the allies. In
the great war. Packs report shows
that the seedlings have been planted
along the Chemin des Danes, around
doors of reviyinG industry: in tho
Forest of Saint Gobain and around the
ruins of the famous Coucy-le-Chateau
In the Forest of Normal where in a
5000 acre forest of pine and beech
the German axe lett nothing but the
smallest saplings: IN the Ardennes
Mountains bordering the old duchy
of Luxembourg: in County Tyrone.
| Ireland wherc the best nursery show
Ing Of any planted by the British For
IEut I.n Hoo.
along the Caledonia Canal In Scot
| land known to all the American Navy
because 1t was there the American
submarine chasers were modified
The magnitude of the work ahead il
shown In the report which brings out
| that Great Britain's program calls for
| fourteen thousand pounds Of seed a
| year while France needs an equal
| amount and because of the summer
| drought Belgium needs almost al
much.
One of the first areas where tho
seedlings were placed by the French
government Is along the Chemin dos
DANES where the glory of the Amcr'
can douEhboy is forever enshrlned. So
awful was the artillery fire that hard
ly n charred stump remains of the
once thick forest along the slopes. But
now row on row Ike the poppics Of
Flanders the ReedlinEs carpet the
slopes once gouEed- and torn by tho
battle wheel. Americas trees too VIII
be found taking the place OF their
comrades who fell In the forest of
Saint Gobain and around tho ruins
of the famous Coucy-le- le-Chateau. dr-
namitcd by the retrcating Germans.
To the north the German Army
cut every stick OF available timber for
it's own use says the report. In
the forest of Normal stood acres OF
beautiful pine and beech forest. OF
which nothing remains today except
the stumps. So vast an undertaking
Is involved in rcplanting everywhere
at once that here tho French have
adopted a somewhat different system
clearing and spadiuS IN only 1T
tie circle here and there where In our
seed has been sown directly without
the intermediate nursery state. Tho
loss may be heavier but the labor OF
reforestation should nc lightened.
This experiment with our seeds II
of unusual interest to us In Americs,
where planting labor costs are so high
and II may be that an experiment
made with American Douglas Fir IN
France will prove to have real valuo
In forestry In America. Tho whole
northern district. Lille. Nalcncienne7
and Hirson. ie part of the great coal
mining and manufacturing center OF
France which the German Army ."
thoroly demolished nnd because Of
their location at the door of reyivlnr
industry the woodlands here. splashcS
with patches of American trees viii
hold some of the highest commercial
value of any forests In tho world. No
better proof of the Importance of re-
fores,inr our own eastern areas need
be sought.
in tiny woodland In the Normal
forest somehow neglected by the Ger
man Army Is a slsn erected by the
New York Bird Society and scores of
bird houses and feeding stations toy
tify to the manner In which these
Americans are striving 10 SOW seeds
of International good will.
"ESth France and Belgium are
greatly pleased with our American
Douglas Fir which with us is found
in the greatest abundance on tho
northern Pacific Coast tho report
continues. M. Crahay. who has for
some years been the very active head
OF forestry in Belgium. is n great he-
liever in this tree. which will go far to
help meet the serious problems of at
forestation.
"The Belgian Ministry of waters
and Forests once boasted of several
fine small plantations Of Douglas t'ir
in the Ardennes Mountains bordo'
ing on the old Duchy Of Luxembourg
where most OF the Belgian forests
were formerly located. and this is the
area which will be replnnted with
patches of American Douglas fir
mixed with European pine aud
Spruce,
'The policy OF interminxluS Of
kinds and planting in small groups
common to both France and Belgium
is intended MS an assurance against
serious loss from insect or other pes's
which might he particularly likei, to
attack n foreign species. Also 1t must
he recognized that eten " good