.68 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION February 



olina, Georgia and Alabama. In 1906 silt and gravel. This detritus is in- 

 this region produced about half of the creasing every year as the mountains 

 hardwood used in this country. It is are denuded of their cover, 

 safe to say that fully one-half of the "The task of cleaning out the South- 

 present supply is within this area. It ern streams and harbors grows heav- 

 is a non-agricultural region. The rain- ier each year. Until we remove the 

 fall is such that the growth per acre cause by protecting these mountain 

 per year is the largest to be found forests from fire and reckless cutting, 

 anywhere in the hardwood areas of we shall inevitably expend increasing 

 America. It is an accessible region, sums without permanent results. 

 A large part of it has already been "Eight years ago the movement for 

 cut off and the best removed, with the purchase of these forests took 

 plenty yet remaining upon the definite shape. While it has grown, 

 ground. Lumbermen are already en- and is stronger now than ever, its 

 gaged in cleaning up the second time, merits should make it far stronger 

 leaving nothing behind. than it is. Therefore I am pleased at 



"A Grand Rapids lumberman said the organization of your association 



the other day that he was cutting tim- with the definite purpose of getting 



her perfectly clean from the moun- these forests established. As I said 



tarns, and very soon erosion would in my last message to Congress, 'we 



c'.f^ar off nearly all of the soil ami should acquire in the Appalachian and 



nothing would be left but rock. A White ^fountain region the forest 



thousand years of the most persistent lands that it is possible to acquire for 



and careful work in reforestation the use of the Nation.' " 

 would not again rehabilitate the reg'on 



which he is devastating. His excuse President Roosevelt's 

 for doing it was that if he didn't the Exasperating admirable letter to the 

 other fellow would rnd he wanted ihe Appalachian National 

 dollar. In the same conversation he Forest Association eloquently con- 

 remarked there was only one way in firms what was formerly believed, 

 which this destruction could be pre- and indeed known, concerning his at- 

 vented. and that was for the strong titude toward the proposed Appalach- 

 hand of the Government to s'yy the ian and White Mountain National 

 axe and afterward guide it in :tb work Forests — namely, that he is strongly 

 of gathering in the timber." in favor of acquiring in those regions 



all the forest lands which it is possible 



Roosevelt President Ligon John- to acquire for the use of the Nation. 



Pleased at gon, of the Appalachian It is one of the exasperating anoma- 



Organization j^^^Jq^^^j Forest Asso- lies of our governmental system that 



elation, has received a letter from a policv of inestimable importance, 



President Roosevelt, warmly indors- earnestly approved and desired by 



ing the work of the association rela- the President, his Cabinet, a majority 



tive to the preservation of the Appal- of both houses of Congress, the gov- 



achian forests. The President's let- ernors and governments of the States 



ter quotes a speech he delivered at concerned, and the great majority of 



Raleigh, N. C, in October, 1905, and intelligent and thoughtful people 



then says further: throughout the Nation, may be^arbi- 



"We'know also that these, forests trarily and capriciously "held up" and 



are of the utmost importance to navi- postponed, if not permanently defeat- 



gation on the streams to which they ed. — New York Tribune. 

 give rise. AH the water which falls 



in the Southern Appalachians goes to National There are ten or more 



the sea through navigable channels, P?*J °" *^^ National Parks west of 



which it has cost the Government over ""°son ^^^ Mississippi River, set 



$30,000,000 to keep clear from sand, aside for their scenic beauty. There 



