Evening star., 1937-11-21

that used for fuel for warmth and cook
ing, vast quantities were burned to get
the obstructive masses out of the way.
That went on for many years. AS the
pioneers moved westward they were en-
countered constantly with the obtruding
forests. The first step taken by any
pioneer was to clear place in the forest
for his cabin. The cabin in the clearing
was almost universal description Of the
habitations Of the early Americans. Day
by day the axes swung against the trees
while the clearings grew larger and larg-
er. Each season saw more trees felled
and more field crops grown. The forests
continued to be economic enemies, for
one cannot eat trees, and continued to be
the lurking places of the enemy-at first
not only the Indians but the French.
1t seems scarcely credible today, but
scarcely century ago there we're three
times as many trees in the eastern half
of the United States as in the western.
So great have been the changes that
today the West has ten times as much
virgin timber as the East. Under pres
sure Of conservation movements and with
the aid of the United States Forest
Service, reforestation is going forward
on broad scale, the State governments,
too, being active, but the stand Of virgin
timber is slight compared with the West.
4 4
With this history back of Americas
forests, in spite Of the enormous destruc-
ton, much of it wanton, of the trees of
the land, each man, woman and child In
the United States is the theoretical own
er of one and one-third acres of forest.
This is tract half as big as the average
city block, big enough for sites for eight
fair sized row houses, each with its gar
den plot. Were each theoretical parcel
situated in open country, 1t would con-
stitute a kitchen garden big enough to
feed family.
To be sure, any individual would have
difficulty in going into the forest and
saying, "I1l take this little tract, right
here" and begin to pace OF the ground.
That would not do at all. When 1t is
said that each man, woman and child
owns one and one-third acres of forest
land 1t means that If the total of public
lands were divided by the population,
one and one-third acres would fall to
each individual. At regular intervals,
the United States Treasury issues what
is called the "Circulation Statement"
which shows how much money there is
in circulation in the country in total and
per capita. The statement may say, for
instance, that there Is 1882 for each
man, woman and child in the country.
This statement seldom is printed in the
newspapers, but letters come to the
Treasury from untutored individuals ask
ing for their $3.50
But although it Is impossible to give
title to his one and one-third acres Of
forest land to each person and impos-
sible to supply each individual with the
amount the Circulation Statement shows,
nevertheless each one does have that
share. On the other side of the ledger
1t might be stated that each man, woman
and child in the country owes, about $3.50
on account Of the Federal public debt
and considerably more on account of
State, county and municipal debts But
1t is more pleasant to think about ones
own acre and third Of forest It
should be especially pleasant to the
caplta-speaktng in per capita language
who dwells on the treeless prairies of
the Great Plains country, or to the capita
who lives on the verge of the Great
American Desert and seldom sees any,
thing but lonely cottonwood clump or
still more lonely single cactus tree.
- t
No census Of trees of the United States
ever has been made, but the officials and
workers of the Forest Service have spent
so much study on the national forests
that they can make pretty sfrewd
guess. They figure that there are enough
trees in the publicly owned forests to
allow 200 to each one Of these acre-and-
a-third groves
This does not mean that each person
would have a forest of oaks like those
under which the Druids celebrated their
holy rites, nor does 1t mean each grove
would be made UP of those lofty pines
which make long cathedral aisles in the
forests of the Carolinas and in the
Northwest. The 200 trees would be made
up Of various kinds and various sizes.
There would be some big trees, some me-
d1um and some no more than saplings,
but they would all be trees
One can't have everything. One could
not put in request, for instance, for the
tallest living thing in the world, the red
wood tree which lifts its majestic spire
1854 feet into the air on the California
Coast. Nor could one hope for such a
poplar tree as that which the Forest
Service recently sold to a lumber COM
pany-a single tree-for $160. There
are red cedars in the West which grow
to girth of Is feet and in Florida there
are royal palms with fronds 10 feet long.
There are about $50 different species
OF trees In the United States. Most of
them are indigenous, but by no means
all. When Thomas Jefferson was Sec
retary Of State he issued an order to all
foreign ministers and consuls of the
United States to send home slips, cut
tings and seedlings Of the trees and
shrubs native to the countries to which
they were accredited. They obeyed the
order with the result that hundreds of
strange, outlandish varieties came here
Many Of them, Of course, could not thrive
in this climate, but many Of them old.
So it Is that the Ginkgo from China ana
the Paulownia and cherry blossom trees
from Japan are here. Scores more could
be named. Each American has the pick
Of these arboreal riches. But do not
write to Uncle Sam asking delivery. The
property is yours in so safe way that
no one, not even the tax collector, can
take it away from you.
rooms for members (all built in the fur.
niture shop; hundreds Of draperies. One
large committee nom is thoroI,o1,lv ovor