OF Ohio 7 



TREES IN OfflO 



BY 



EDMUND SECREST 

 State Forester 



THE tree in diversified ways probably contributes more 

 to the welfare and happiness of mankind than any liv- 

 ing plant. It has furnished the lumber for the construction 

 of countless American homes and the furniture to make us 

 comfortable. Every day as we go about our work and play 

 we use almost countless articles and accessories made from 

 wood which assists us in the performance of these activities. 



The great forests which covered a large portion of Amer- 

 ica made possible in no small measure the prosperity with 

 which we are blessed today. They provided a source of 

 lumber, which has made our basic industry of agriculture 

 the most prosperous of any on earth. It enabled the Ameri- 

 can farmer to build substantial buildings and equipment ^t 

 small cost. The industry of lumbering itself is one of the 

 largest, and the manufacture of products in which wood 

 plays a part is almost as varied as the use of wood itself. 



When the first white man came to Ohio, he was privileged 

 to view one of the finest hardwood forests in the world. 

 Nowhere did the white oak, the tulip poplar, the black 

 walnut, the white elm, or the shellbark hickory grow larger 

 or make better lumber than the ones that covered hill and 

 dale in Ohio. Next to the soil the original forests of Ohio 

 constituted its greatest natural asset, far outranking in poten- 

 tial value the combined mineral resources. 



The forests which covered Ohio contributed in no small 

 degree to the upbuilding of the soil, and this factor in itself 

 had in great measure to do with their destruction in order 

 to give way to the farms which furnish food for our people. 



As soil conservers, the trees which clothe the mountains 

 and hillsides render a distinct service to mankind. The tree 

 roots and the litter on the forest floor check the soil from 

 washing into the valleys below, thus preventing the filling of 

 stream channels with silt and soil debris which in turn raises 

 the level of the channels and accentuates the flooding of val- 

 leys. At the same time the forest prevents the sudden run-off 

 of rain waters from steep slopes, for the leafy floor and porous 

 soil absorbs more than the hard, bare ground and gives it 

 off slowly to feed the woodland springs and small brooks. 



But if trees have served to make us prosperous, and have 

 contributed to our comforts and protection, they have again 

 exerted a tremendous influence on our lives because of their 

 aesthetic value. Who would want to live in a country with- 

 out trees? How would the city or village street appear with- 

 out its avenues of trees? Would your home be a home with- 

 out the trees in the yard? 



