272 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



its national resources and then alleviate 



the condition of the worthy poor will be 



appreciated and backed by cooperation 



from the Chinese. As an instance of the 



readiness of the Chinese to benefit by 



any help we can afford, the minister of 



agriculture and commerce has shut the 



Government School of Forestry in 



Peking and sent twenty-four of the best 



students to our school, thus making ours 



the national school of forestry. Not 



only so, but on my departure from 



China for the United States he gave 



me a letter of commendation in which 



he stated that if we can establish cer- 

 tain institutions in connection with our 



school, the university, he will cooperate 



with us. Not only have I his letter 



commending this work to the American 



public, but Dr. Reinsch, the American 



minister in Peking, has given his letter 



recommending the work to his govern- 

 ment and the American people. 



In response to this, Secretary of 



Agriculture Houston has offered to 



grant leave of absence to those in the 



government employ who can be spared 



and may desire to spend one. two or 



more years helping us to develop the 



work around Nanking. Mr. Graves in 



the Forest Service has done likewise. 



But these officials cannot provide pay- 

 ment for such men without an act of 



Congress. 



Were I in position to do so I 



should urge the granting of the money 



by act of Congress or the using of some part of the 



indemnity money for this work, and my reason is as 



follows : First, we can help a great nation in 



need. Second, we can help a great nation that will 



appreciate the help. Then comes the selfish reason. 



China is to be the greatest nation on earth when she is 



developed. Are we to fight her or are we to have 



her as a close friend? The opportunity is now given to 



the United States to save China from her enemies and to 

 seal her as an eternal ally. No one who knows the 

 Chinese character as those of us who have spent over a 

 quarter of a century among them, can doubt of the 

 undying friendship that the Chinese have for those whom 

 they trust. I can reckon among my very stanchest 

 friends the very men that fought me from a mistaken 

 fear that I was going to "do" them. They had good 

 reason to fear me and I don't blame them. Foreigners 

 have come and have done things in the name of helping 

 China that make us all hang our heads. But once the 

 Chinese trust you, there's no such a thing as trusting half 

 way. You're a bosom friend. America as a nation is on 

 the straight road to become that bosom friend of China, 

 and a grant now in response to the appeal of the minister 



DR. JOSKi'U BAIL1I-, 



Of the University of Nanking, China, 

 who is now in the United States en- 

 deavoring to arouse interest in China's 

 forestry problems and secure assist- 

 ance in reforestation work. 



of agriculture would do a great deal 

 to seal that friendship. 



But as I cannot hope for this gov- 

 ernment grant I appeal to the patriotism 

 of our countrymen to assist in one of 

 the greatest schemes now before the 

 human race, the afforestation of China. 

 We have arrangements made for the 

 carrying out of plans in connection 

 with our university. The government 

 of China has given us as first install- 

 ment of lands a grant of ten square 

 miles. The minister has asked us to 

 show the Chinese nation, on this and 

 other tracts that will be donated when 

 this is planted in trees, how to go 

 about the forestation of the country. 



The American government is willing 

 to aid in lending men who know how ; 

 who will help out in giving the salaries 

 of these men? 



My trip from California to the East 

 was made possible by Major Ahern's 

 kindly enlisting the financial help of 

 Charles Lathrop Pack, of Lakewood, 

 N. J., the president of the American 

 Forestry Association; Dr. Henry 

 Sturgis Drinker, former president of 

 the American Forestry Association, 

 and Capt. J. B. White, Kansas City, 

 Missouri, a director of the same asso- 

 ciation. 



Anyone desiring to help this work 

 kindly address Dr. Robert E. Speer, 

 president of the board of trustees of 

 the University of Nanking, 156 Fifth 

 Avenue, New York City, or President A. J. Bowen, 

 Universitv of Nanking, Nanking, China. 



FERTILIZER FROM WOOD ASHES. 



THE present isolation of the large potash beds at 

 Stassfurt, and the consequent rise in the price of 

 this important fertilizing ingredient, have led the 

 Department of Forest Utilization of the New York 

 State College of Forestry to make some few tentative 

 studies into the commercial production of potassium 

 oxide from hardwood ashes by burning and leaching. 

 The Department is tempted to state that there is a good 

 market for the soluble salts that can be thus obtained, 

 in view of the fact that such salts are at present bring- 

 ing from ten to twelve cents per pound, with a very good 

 prospect of their going much higher in the near future. 



POTASH IN WOOD ASHES 



THE increase in the demand for potash has resulted 

 in a number of inquiries of Government officials 

 concerning the amount of this chemical contained 

 in wood ashes which may be available at sawmills operat- 

 ing on the National Forests. 



