The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-08-26
CONS ALTON PSYCHE 8


COLONY on Thursday night August
Twas given over to the Louisiana State
CONSERVATION Commissioners. NIf I'VE
EAlexander. who with his game wardens
ECoI. MI. S. Holmes. bis superintendent
Iof forestry, Mr. ". H. SondereggeI and
d number Of other gentlemen. had come
ldown to enlist the cooperation cf tlle
members of The Colony in the consers
lvation work Of the state. II is unnec-
essary to say that conservation Is right
Hin line with our psychology work fcr
Ian appreciation Of the Importance Oft
Iconserving the natural resources d.
Ipends ii the first place upon TIE state
lof mind of the people The living gem
Ieration Of to-day is trustee tof ali
future generations. and We have ro
fright to waste any natural resources
Whatsoever, but are III honor bound to
lconserve them to the best Of our abll-
lily, To get the people to recognize
4 and accept this responsibility is high
!. lly educational piece Of work.
u Mr.. Alexander discussed in d very
Interesting manner the important work
his commission is dong ii guarding the
forests, mineral resources. the wild life
Of the state, fish, oysters, etc.
Commissioner Alexander dwelt espe-
] cialIy on the importance of fire preven-
/, ltion in the cut-oyer lands of tie state.
Seventy-fiYc percent, lie, eighteen mill
/ Elion acres, Of forest Of the state have
/ been denuded of their pine timber, and
E unless guarded against forest fires, II
4 1.-THE course Of a few years will become
an absolutely worthless, bowling wilder
mess. But if the young growth is pro-
ltected. reforestation will proceed almost
spontaneously and il fifteen years time
the new timber will be large enough
to furnish material for wood pulp for
! paper. while in 30 to IS years. save
] Hogs Of fourteen inches in diameter can
[ be secured.
L Forest fires spring from many differ
ent causes. They are often kindled
I along railroads BY sparks from the ~
d comotives. Carelessness Is responsible
/ for many fires. Settlers and farmers
! clearing land or burning grass and
brush often allow the fire to escape in
u to the woods. Someone may drop a
i half-burned match or the glowing to-
il bacco of pipe or cigar, or hunter Of
Il prospector may neglect to extinguish
his camp fire. or may build II where
It will burrow into the thick duff fal
beyond his reach to smolder for days
az or weeks and perhaps to break out a:
ne a destructive fire after he has gone
r. Many fires are set for malice or re-
he venge, and the forest is often burnec
= over BY berry pickers to increase TIKI
he next seasons growth Of berries, or By
~ the owners Of cattle or goats to make
~ better pasture for their herds.
- Insects are constantly injuring ths
forest, just as year BY year they bring
loss to the farm. Occasionally Their
Sc lravages attain enormous proportions
T. These enemies can best be fought By
Y the protection Of our wild birds. The
OF robin, for instance, eats two and hall
~ times its own weight in twenty-foul
@ hours. Millions Of birds spend their
r lives harvesting the worm crop that
springs up year after year. Besides,
the robin. the best workers in the I'M
y sect field are the yellowhammer, the
s. woodpecker. the mockingbird, The cat
- bird, the kingbird. the cuckoos, the
= swallows and the chickadees. A pair
II Of nesting Wrens has been observed to
u take over 600 insects from garden ii
one day. while investigation has shown
that SO percent Of the food Of wrens
consists of insects. But of all the en-
emies that threaten the forest, fire and
reckless numbering are the worst.
= Mr.. " H. Sonderegger, Louisiana I
superintendent of forestry. is highly
Z Qualified for his specially, which he
! has studied in the best schools ii this
country as well as in Europe, and his
j counsel and advice has already out re-
torestation in Louisiana decisiyely on
: the map.
/ AS matter OF course. Llano Colony
lls deeply interested in the highly valu-
! able work Of Louisiana's Conservation
Commissioner, and we shall be only too
glad to cooperate with him in every
! possible way to second his efforts. The
meeting was opened and closed by the
orchestra. Commissioner Alexander
and his department heads expressed
themselves highly pleased with he
work accomplished by the Colony; and
with the wonderful resources Of Louis
lana to back up the cooperative labor