The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-09
q CONSERVE RESOURCES.


Attention IS called to the article in
this issue 81 o. II Il. Wernicke. Of tho
Tar and Turpentine company, at Gull
Point, and formerly at the head Of the
Wernicke company. Mr. Wernicke is
considered an authority on many Of
the problems which present themselves
81 relation 70 our native woods. and in
his articio shows very conclusively the
value Of tho cut-over lands OF the
south and the vast resource which
offers itself III the utilization Of "fat
wood" Of the pine belt.
He says: 1.-THE world has not yet
como into sufficient knowledge OF the
oils from Pine knots and stumps to-
realize their exceptional qualities and
the endless uses to which these oils
are adapted The amount or pine wood
oil present Ia the rat knots and stumps
within the yellow pine belt cannot be
stated with accuracy. but It has been
determined that an average acre Of
cut-over land contains two or more
cords OF fat wood, and that each cord
contains from 10 TO barrels Of OIL.
ana a half ton Of charcoal
In another part Of The Journal may
also be found an interview with r. y.
Forbes. director Of the Southern For
cat Experiment Station. the offices Of
which are located IN New Orleans. MI.
Forbes has been spending q few days
IA tho city comforting with w. l. Hill.
supervisor Of the Florida national for
ests.
The Southern Forest Experiment
station ~ a branch OF the conservation
4rrt4na ctntco rrctrnrs,
ment, and 81 under tho direction OF and
" part OF the conservation plan Of the
national bureau Of agriculture.
A careful reading Of these two ar
ticles win show tho great need which
we are facing In regard to conservation
"a the south, and the necessity Of pri-
vuto interests working hand in hand
with the government IN it's conserva-
ton program.
It Is true that the south has a vast
acreage of cut-ovcr lands and that rs
the naval Industry OF the south wanes
we have recourse to oil. According TO
AR. Wernicke, this amount would be
several times as much and have four
times the value Of our total turpentine
and rosin production since 1870 He
says: 1T is inconceivabie that our
people can long remain Indifferent TO
q source OF wealth OF such magnitude
ana Importance to themselves
The Importance % this source Of
revenue Is tremendous, but there is
one point which should be stressed III
this connection. and which IS brought /
out very forcibly Ia the article BY Mr. I
Worbea. of the forestry service, and
that Is Tho fact that IL we continue to
"cut clean on the timberlands, and as
has been done in tho past, and 10
abuse the pine trees, through unintelli-
gent girdling, we shall kill the goose I
that lays the golden egg" and while |
We may profit greatly now In dollars /
ana cents. sthe day win come when We /
shall regret the ruthless destruction I
Of these lands.
Georgia, once q great naval stores
and timely section Of the United !
states. is forced to Import some Of
her timber, now using moro timber i
than she can produce
In the United states today there
are 100 government forest reservation, i
only ten OF which are east of the Mis-
sissippi. which goes to show that the
government IL giving the people o.
the west sixteen times the cooperation
that Is given to the people Of the south
ia the forestry problem.
Tne work Of the Southern Expeft-
ment station covers the entire coastai
plain from North Carolina to Texas,
ana II the people or the south would
welcome government aid and would
mako intelligent study Of the condi-
lions which surround the conservation
problem this section could not only
reap the rewards Of Its cut-over AREA
hut could IS reforest the south that ~
future generations the naval stores In
duatry might come into its own again.
and the south would not have 70 rely
only On the by-products Of the pines,
but might once more BIO known for It's
vast lumber and naval stores indus
tries.
without conservation the day must
come when the socth viii be dsnuded
Of its pine forests, and there VIII pc