The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-12-20

newspaper and also the local news Of
spontaneous origin published herein.
All rights Of republication Of al other
matter herein are also reserved.
Our Part IN Reforestation
Despite the plants Of the profess
sional promoters and exploitationists,
it y rather obvious to the average
American that We have been farming
too much land.
II = painfully apparent to the
farmer who. tilling sub-marginal
soil. has made much less than . de-
cent living In recent years.
It = equally noticeable to the
farmer living on rich land who never.
theless has felt tho competition Of
the marginal producer.
Those who take note Of agricul.
tural conditions generally. without
regard to competitive factors. know
that We built up : surplus which
weighed down the price BY . farming
system which might more accurately
be described Is mining tho soil"
As . result, America Is dotted with
thousands Of worked out" and aban.
doned farms, . strange contrast with
the situation In Europe where land
has been under cultivation for CEN
turie&
When rich, virgin land could b had
for the taking. there was little cause
for alarm, but the homestead days
are over. The farmer who works
out" his soil becomes the victim Of
his own action, with nowhere to turn
for help. AZ his land produces con-
stantly less and less his economic
status sinks lower and lower, with
consequent disaster to him, his family
and his community.
These facts make . recent COM
mittee report to the United States
Chamber Of Commerce Of real inter-
est, since it deals With the phases Of
land use and reforestation. It rec
ommends the undertaking by private
land holders Of . reforestation policy,
based on the sustained yield principle.
with government aid In the form Of
tax concessions and protection from
fire. disease and pests.
How little cutting Of our forests was
needed to upset natures balance and
place our national resources on the
road to destruction Is indicated by
tho fact that We still have three
fourths Of our natural forest land
and there still is more land In trees
than under cultivation.
Out Of 1905, 0oo. 900 acres of land
in continental United States. 1t Is
pointed out. 6l5.0oo,00o are forest
land. $4,000, 900 farm crop land, &c.,
100000 pasture and range In farms.
3l7.Oo0.00o pasture and range outside
Of farms. and l79,ooo,ooo 8 urban,
roads, waste. etc. The total forest
area, - now 90 classified. i about
three-forths Of the original {orested
area Of the country. namely, S20,-
100000 acres. OF the quarter that
has been deforested for other uses
100000 acres are again available
for tree growing: and IS to 80 million
acres more may be available by 1850.
Tho report states that aside from
tho industrial and economic aspects
torested lands have other character
1stics Of public value, such as the pre-
vention Of soil erosion and excessive
run-off Of precipitation. Tho forest
also affords opportunity for recrea.
ton and the preservation Of wild life
The report emphasizes tho fact that
the great extent to which farms wer<
hewn out Of the forests and the east
with which they can be restored
thereto constitute = close Relationship
between agriculture and forestry.
Turning submarginal agriculture
lands into forests serves the purposes
both Of reducing excess agriculture
areas and Of putting the lands bacl
to work to meet the nations need TO
wood products. But, conversely, Their
IS ever present the possibility Of con
verting forest areas into agriculture
areas, thereby reducing much needle,
forest land and increasing farm land
These facts are Of particular inter
est to North Dakota because Of tn
climatic changes which obviousl,
have been caused By mans interior
ence with the balance Of nature.
Both east and west Of Us forest
have been denuded and great SWAMI
areas drained, with . consequent dro
in our average rainfall. Our ow
system Of farming has been such tina
We are able to make less rather tina
better use Of the rainfall received.
In prairie country such - osrs, TIA
natural balance has been upset b
the elimination q native sod, whic
formed . protective cover for the soi
~ Z result, our part IN any effectiy
ieforestation program = to restor'
IN 80 far . w can. our native sub
stitute Tor timber, the grass whic
onos gaze nutritious grazing to mil
,1ions Of buffalo.