Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-10

M. pinehot Puts q Rod In Pickle for
Himself by Failing TO Keep an En-.
easement, but He Substitute,
Happily, Knew HE subject
By SARAH d. LOWRIE

Dy SANfAf1 Ds AVWUAE
T CAN never make up my mind whether
i the persons who keep their engagements
to spcak at public meetings add to their
regulations as great q sum in their favor
as those who break their engagements do
themselves harm. You do get merit by being
where you promised to be, but the merit you
lose by disappointing your audience rs hard
to compute 1t is 80 far. reaching a memory
public man who has something to get from
the public.
And all this Is by way Of sayins that
very hand picked audience had been gathered
to hear Mr.. Clifford Pinchot the other after.
noon. people whose interest in forestry can
create public opinion and eventually influence
legislation, and It was pity that Mr.
Pinchot was Obliged to disappoint his hostess
and his audience. Deputy Commissioners
Major Stewart, who came instead. knew his
subject, for he Is obviously doer rather than
a speaker, and by u careful putting Of qucs..
experience that he possesses were in part
extracted from him but he was at a disad.
vantage because he had not been what his
audience had expected, and his audience was
not-one would say-quite what he had ex-
pected in the furry Of his sudden arrival to
take his chiefs place.
gave were quite as much to the point as Mr..
Pinchot's would have been, and In any case,
to persons interested in trees and forests and
familiar with numbered areas or land doomed
to be lumbered,. what he said of the plans
and prospects of the Pennsylvania Forestry
] for one got great deal by being there.
T HAVE to 60 across this State between
1 White Haven and Wilkes. Barre and be-.
tween Scranton and Port Jervis once or twice
every year, and in doing this by motor I
lOOlf onf Vot1no anh ,nt0 ~ hOrut 4. .n,,nr
forest lands. Most Of the Poconos are
covered with low scrub and most Of the
mountainous country along the Susquehani,a
is forestless. just as most of the Alleghenies
have been denuded and burnt off and left
unproductive. ...
Yet seventy five years ago the Pcnnsyl.
vania forests were famous and the State
stood in the first rank Of tree bearing States.
In 1860 Wilkes Barre used to be q summer
health resort, and the magnificent hemlOck
forests all about that region-one Of the lasi
of which at Harvey's Lake was cut down
about ten years ago-were famous. Now
between the vapors from the mines and the
heat reflected from the treeless mountains It
does not invite summer guests, and though
the air on the summit of the mountains Is
cool and wholesome. 1t lacks the peculiar
forest purity, that one gets. for INSTANCE. in
is something which is perceptible in the quail.
!ty Of the air from miles and miles Of forest
that is at once healing and invigoratins.
DUT apart from the pleasure and the
- beauty and the health of great forested
lands, they are very. renuncrative. That is,
the forest can be kept growing indefinitely,
and yet the trees as, they reach q certain size
and maturity can be taken out and sold.
Just to leave forest uncut does not pre-
serve the trees they ruin themselves and one
another eventually, and although the wood
remains wood, it is far less beautiful than
# IT were properly forested and judiciousy
numbered and replanted.
The New York State forests that I am
familiar with only recently have begun to be
scientifically forested. And the difference
between forest that is forested-judiciousy
thinned-and one left to grow and die Of
itself Is recognizable by moments glance
The trees are more uniformly beautiful and
the surface under them is lovelier as well rs
more get -at- able s.-.
Pennsylvania has this year 1,126,00
acres Of land that are State.owned and are
this land and private forests with new t. ees
for old ones or numbered ones, there are four
great nurseries in various sections Ut the
State besides some small plantations.
The trees in these nurseries are from two
to three years up that are ready for trans
planting. They are used for State institu.
tion grounds, for State forests and for lands
owned privately needing reforesting. Tie
lowest number that can be procured from
the State nurseries is 100. Private
planters can procure these subject to certain
This year there are 5000. 900 Of such little
trees ready for transplanting. and by 1925
the State Forestry Commission plans to have
A PART from the numbering and the
"A planting of these forests and the clear.
{,r nod Hho In iS,u nI,to Il ttnn
lecting. the Forestry Bureau has the respon.
sibility of protecting the forests from FIRE and
from blights. Overlooking any great view Of
mountains in Lower California one is struck
by what appear to be roads cutting the sur.
face Of the forests in great regular Intervals
these are really Clearngs and are made to di.
vide the forest masses as q protection from
fire. In Pennsylvania these fire roads,"
as they are called, are used to some extent,
but the reliance Is now chiefly placed in the
look great acreage. The moment smoke is
seen coming from any spot. a detail of fire.
fighters is sent there. notified by phone
call, and before the fire has gained Roadway
underneath the surface or over the tree tops
it is put out. The State grant at present
tive side of the business.
This Is hardly adequate. ono would think.
unless public opinion is enlisted 10 help out.
And that Is where the Garden Club, before
which Mr.. Pinchot had been asked to speak.
and many like organizations can help won.
derfully.
And, us in former years, many dis.
astrous fires came from camping and picnl,
parties and from berry pickers, further
safety device in the shape of camp sites with
protected hreplaces is being installed by the
State, and set up in many spots made popu.
lar by the summer campers and excursion
lists.
A FTER q long hike or strenuous motor
n ride 1t is very pleasant relief to find
ones night quarters conveniently made ready
for one-the fireplace near running water,
and the place for pitching the tent already
cleared and with a dry sandy floor, pro.
tective thicket for the dressing room and
planed los for the dining. room table. OF
course, first come, first served, but the next
ind the next camp sites are only a mile be.
yond.
Perhaps the most interesting part of Majo,
Stewards talk was concerning his forestry
experience in France The Forestry De-
nartnent in Washington WAS made rssnnn.