Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-05
Seeding Trees
from America
Growing in Europe

GROWING III Europe
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 nurturcd in
France and Belgium but in Great
Britain also and in ireland.
The French ministry has ordered
that the seedlings shall be located in
places readily accessible to main
travelled roads, and, if possible, near
well known sites with the view that
such future forests shall remain as
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 thar any other
country by the sudden demands of
war for materials. In Belgium. il the
once beautiful Ardonnes where the.
German axe left nothing standing tie
beautiful American Douglas fir is
lifting its head.
Arthur Newton Pack OF Princeton,
N. j.. has just made report to the
American Forestry Association,
which supplied the seedlings. after a
three months inspection of the plant
ings. He reports the trees every
where are regarded as growing mon
umcnts to cordial relations between
the allies in the great war. Packs
report shows that the seedlings have
been planted along the Chcmin des
Danes, around Lille, Ealcnciennes
and Hirson at the doors of reviving
industry; in the Forest Of Saint &C.
balm and around the ruins of the IA
nous Coucy-le- Chateau; in the For
est of Normal where in a $1,000 acre
forest of pine and beech the German
axe left nothing but the smallest sap
lings; in the Ardennes Mountains
bordering the old duchv of Luxem-
bourg; in County Tyrone. Ireland,
where the best nursery showing of
any planted by the British Forestry
Commission has been made; ard
along the Calcdonian Canal in Scot
land known to all the American Navy
because it was there the American
submarine chascrs were mobilised.
The magnitude Of the work ahead
is 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 al
most as much.
One of the first areas where the
seedlings were placed by the French
government is along the Chemin des
Danes where the glory of the Amer
lean doughboy is forever enshrined.
So awful was the artillery fire that
hardly a charred stump remains OF
the once thick forest along the slopes.
But now row on row, like the pop
pies of Flanders. the seedlings carpet
the slopes once gouged and torn by
the battle wheel. Americas trees too
will be found taking the place of
their comrades who fell in the for
est of Saint Gobain and around the
ruins Of the famous Coucy-le- Cha
teau, dynamited by the retreating
Germans.
ITO the north the German Army
cut every stick of available timber
for it's own use" says the report. I'm
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 replanting everywhere
at once that here the French have
adopted a somewhat different system
clearing and spading up only lit
tie circle here and there wherein
our seed has been sown directly with
out the intermediate nursery state.
The loss may be heavier. but the Ia
bsr of reforestation should be light
ened.
This experiment with our seeds is
Of unusual interest to us in America,
where planting labor costs are so
high and it may be that an expert
ment made with American Douglas
Fir in France will prove to have real
value in forestry in America. The
whole northern district, Lille, Valen-
ciennes and Hirson, is part of the
great coal mixing and manufacturing
center of France which the German
Army so thoroughly demolished and
because of their location at the door
of reviving industry the woodlands
here; splashed with patches of Amer
lean trees, will hold some of the high
est commercial value of any forests
in the world. No better proof of the
importance of reforesting our own
eastern areas need be sought
I'm tiny woodland in the Normal
forest somehow neglected by the Ger
man Army is sign erected by the
New York Bird Society and scores of
bird houses and feeding stations tes-
tify to. the manner in which these
Americans are striving to SOW seeds
of international good. will.
Both France and Belgium are
greatly pleased with orr American