FOREST WASTE CAUSES FAMINE 



By President John T. Procter 

 Baptist College, Shanghai 



CHINA'S life-sapping famine, in 

 which milhons are suffering, is 

 largely traceable to the wasting 

 of the forests. One of the most hor- 

 rible tragedies of the world might have 

 been prevented by the careful use of 

 these resources. 



"China's hills and mountains are de- 

 forested. This is particularly true in 

 the hilly country drained by the Yangste 

 river, whose valley comprises the 

 stricken district. The river brings the 

 soil down with it. That is the reason 

 why we have the Yellow sea. For three 

 hundred miles out from land the ocean 

 is discolored by the silt brought down 

 by the Yangste. The hills are washed 

 bare of soil. There is some hunting in 

 these hills, but the animals live among 

 the brush. For want of better fuel the 

 natives burn this brush. 



"Last August the Yangste over- 

 flowed and flooded about 4U,000 acres 

 of densely populated territory. This 

 flood placed a population of 3,000,000 

 in want. In fifty years there has not 

 been such another flood. Some of the 

 victims have been drowned out for two 

 consecutive years, some three years, 

 some four years. They not only have 

 lost food, they have lost hope. 



"Much of the land that was inun- 

 dated is at sea level. It is drained by 

 the most intricate system of canals in 

 the world. I know of one city of 30,- 

 000 which is surrounded by canals. 

 There are no roads to it, because a road 

 could not go half a mile without touch- 

 ing a canal. There are not even foot- 

 paths. The people make their way to 

 and from the city in boats. This is 

 their only means of communication." 



The movement for a ivoods products exposition in the United States is daily receiving 

 encouragement and the outlook now is that one zvill be held w-ithin a short time. 4t such 

 an exposition a great and varied line of manufactured lumber goods could be exhibited and 

 an opportunity given for a very comprehensive exploitation of lumber and its manufactures. 



Assistant District Forester A. C. McCain, who has been attending to matters relative 

 to the division of the Humboldt National Forest, has returned to his station at Lamoille, 

 Nevada. 



F. N. Haines, formerly supervisor of the Blackfeet National Forest, has been endorsed 

 for the position of Superintendent of Glacier Park, succeeding the late Major IV. R. Logan, 

 according to a dispatch from Kalispell, Mont. 



The Bavarian Government has given much attention to fruit growing, a decree having 

 been issued os early as 1769 requiring all land ozvners to plant fruit trees along the public 

 highways bordering their estates. The systematic planting of such trees was begun about 

 the middle of the last century. The value of fruit trees in Bavaria is now estimated at 

 $170,000,000. 



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