Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-05-13

tuel ana homes. Ihey also cut
them down to clear the land so
they could farm. They did not
know the value of forests then as
we do now, that is, they did not
know how they helped them in
many ways as they really do.
Our forests have been cut down
so that nothing is left but the
stumps of what was once beauti-
full trees. All of the wild animals
and birds that lived in the forests
have gone to the forests of Canada,
or the West or the East to make
their homes or have been killed,
mostly the latter.
Soon the United States will be in
need of wood for building houses
furniture and furnishing fuel. The
land will be bare with only a few
trees here and there to please the
eye.
The people thought about saving
their forests too late for nearly all
Of them are gone. They have
started to plant small trees and al
so to save those that are in the for
est.
The people are doing this so that
the generations yet to come will see
forests somewhat like those that
once covered the land. They will al
so have trees for manufacturing and
fuel purposes.
Many people think that forests
are wonderful and try to save them
as much as possible by helping to
prevent forest fires and not cutting
down all of the trees. If a wood
cutter would cut only the large
trees and save the small ones our
forests would not be destroyed. If
the Woodcutters would be careful
when they cut down the trees, and
only take the ripe ones, and not
tramp down the seedlings, our for
ests would still be growing and
could be used all of the time.
Many people think that the for
est is just to be cut down and to be
used when and where needed re-
CARELESS of the waste they make by
getting what they want. These
people do not try to save the forest.
A great many towns and villages
depend upon forest because they
are made UP of people that work
by cutting and making the trees
into lumber. SO when the forest
is gone the people must go some
where else to work and live. There
fore the town is gone also. Many.
Of these people are old and do not
want to go to another place to live.
Many of the people that stay in
the towns buy land on the lakes
near the towns and start resorts.
People from the cities come to
these resorts on their vacations to
fish and rest. When a man has a
forest around his resort more
people come to- it, for they love the
trees, birds, and other wild life
that lives in the forest.
Usually the people that own for
ests and use them for lumber do
not try to save them. They cut
down the trees that are large
enough, make lumber of them and
burn or waste the rest of them in
some way.
From lumber many things such
as buildings, furniture, ships, paper
and other useful things are built
or manufactured.
Besides their commercial value
the trees hold moisture in the soil
and therefore help the farmer. By
holding moisture it keeps the rivers
and canals from drying up, and by
so doing it makes navigation more
possible. They also help the lakes
to keep more water and keep the
passages between the lakes open.
So the fish are able to live. This
promotes the resort business.
Where there are fish, game and for
ests; people from the cities like to
come to spend their vacations.
Where there are no trees the
land gets dry and this forms des-
ert land as in parts Of Palestine,
China, and Africa.
Our most useful trees are the
pine, maple, oak, birch, chestnut,
spruce, hemlock, and fir. The pine,
spruce, hemlock, and fir are soft
woods. They are used for making
lumber The pine is a large tall
tree that is very beautiful, it is
also a great lumber producer. It's
cones provide food for squirrels,
chipmunks and other small animals
of the forest.
The spruce is used for Christmas
trees. Many thousands of them
are sent to the cities to be sold to
the people at Christmas time.
These soft wood troac ccro1u IN tho