.S8 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



of this came from the open grounds, liecaiise 

 tlic surfaces were frozen. 



There is a sequel to this statement. From 

 March 1 until April 17 (almost seven weeks) 

 but one and thirty-seven hundredths inches 

 of rain fell at West (Jhester. Spring farm 

 operations were halted because of the 

 drought. Shortage of water for home ]uu- 

 poses was commonly experienced. If we 

 could have had the water which ran off in 

 the spring flood, it would have been a god- 

 send. It is not loo much to say that what 

 prevented a disastrous condition in early 

 April was the water saved by tlie forest 

 lauds at the time the floods originating on 

 the cleared areas were hastening out of the 

 state, leaving a desolated surface behind 

 them. 



Mr. Moore 's allegation that forests in- 

 crease the severity and frequency of floods 

 by maintaining an even surface of snow in- 

 stead of allowing it to concentrate in smaller 

 areas by drifting, seems to be completely 

 set aside by the well-known fact that in 

 the greater part of this state, at least, the 

 snow remains in the mountains from five to 

 ten days after it has left the open grounds. 

 In the relation of forests to soil erosion, 

 Mr. Moore's conclusions seem to nic to be 

 jiot only erroneous, but positively vicious, 

 in their tendency. There is no cultivated 

 region having slope enough to convey a dis- 

 tinct current to a main channel in which 

 erosiiui does not occur after a heavy rain. 

 The severity of the erosion, other things 

 l-.eing equal, will depend upon the steepness 

 of the slope. Every turbid stream is carry- 

 ing away the trilnite of the farms to I lie 

 liiioil. Tliis is distinctly visil.li- at times, 

 ulreii tlie water i oming trmii tlic foresteil 

 lands -s still transparently I'lcar. 1 have 

 studied the West Braiicli region dining sev- 

 i-i-.-il periods of si-vere t'lrslicts, .-lud found 

 that, under similar conditions, I lie streams 

 from the cleared ground became muddy, 

 hours and often days, before those from the 

 forest land. And bear in mind, gentlemen, 

 that ill such cases mud is the measure of 

 till' damage being done by erosion. 



No one believes that even when the entire 

 surface of a country is covered with forests, 

 there will be a satisfactory stage of water 

 in the streams during periods of exceptional 

 drought. All tint is claimed is, that the 

 forests hold back what wat^r falls, and that 

 this limits the number ami trequcm-y of 

 freshets on the one liand, ami, on tlio other 

 hand, in so doing reserves walci for (lie 

 drier period. 



Whether or not forests increase tin- \ ol 

 nine of aqueous vajior in llie atniospliere. 

 a|>|ic'ars to be one elemoiit of the |udl>loiii. 

 I have not tinu^ to go into the statistic. li 

 side of the question. 



The following facts, lio«r\ cr, may be 

 given, Forest soil receives prohalily twice 

 as much moisture as enters the soil of the 

 o|ien region. If covered with a deuse coat 

 of leaf mould it, on the average, evapo- 

 j'ates onlv about one-fourth :is much :is the 



open ground in a given period. Hence, long 

 after the open ground has become dry and 

 has ceased practicall.y to give an appre- 

 ciable quantit.v of moisture to the air, the 

 forests out of their abundant soil content 

 are returning by evaporation from the trees 

 a steady su|)ply of moisture. Here seems 

 to me to Lie the most important contribu- 

 tion of forests to climate and its productive 

 capacity. Just at the time when our 

 streams are lowest, and their evaporating 

 surface most reduced and the cleared 

 ground has practically ceased to yield mois- 

 ture to the atmosphere, the forests arc 

 pouring out theirs, to ward oil' premature 

 frosts and to prevent the thirsty air from 

 sucking the moisture fl'om our growing 

 crops. 



This forest-furnished moistuir is to our 

 interests what the reserve trmqis are to an 

 army in time of battle — something to Ik 

 called in at time of greatest need to turn 

 the tide of victory in its favor. 



Modern medicine, too, has opiened up some 

 new relations to this forestry problem, and 

 they are relations which no man may over- 

 look. A host of diseases, instead of com- 

 ing b_y accident, are known to be the re- 

 sult of implanted germs. Of this class of 

 diseases a large share of the suffering, mor- 

 tality and financial drain comes from the 

 water we drink. The new doctrines of 

 conservation impregnate all of our sur- 

 roundings; but no phase of it is so im 

 portant as c<insor\ation of man. For him 

 the whole problem of conservation exists 

 and without liim the word consi-rvation 

 would have iii'\ i r heen uttereil. In the 

 lorestry work in this state, those who 

 shaped its course have never lost sight of 

 the fact that it was a legitimate function of 

 lorestry to protect and to preserve the 

 headwaters of the streams for the domestic 

 uses of the population. No other interest, 

 motive power, or manufacturing can come 

 in ahead of a proper water supply lor our 

 people in their homes. 



Artesian wells often furnish .-m .•iloiiid.'int 

 supply of water which is i>resuiiialily pure. 

 It is quite in order, however, to closely 

 scrutinize the sanitary conditions of watm- 

 so obtained, especially when the point ti. 

 be supplied is in a limestone region and at 

 a moderate elevation above tide; l.iecause 

 it has beconu' a custom in some portions 

 of this state to bore into limestone to find 

 channels liy which sewage may be car- 

 ried off. It is extremely probable that 

 someone at a lower level is drinking that 

 sewage, ignorant of the filth, or the pos 

 sible disease in the water sii|i]ily. I re- 

 gard this as of so much importance that 1 

 should hesitate about artesian water if 

 that from mountain stream heads could be 

 obtained. 



This question of forest fires reipiires full 

 consideration on the part of those who 

 regulate the apjiropriations of the state. 

 There is absolutely no reason why tliis com- 

 monwealth should pass through an auniial 



burning-up of its forest resources; but 

 there is every reason why it should not. 

 And I may add that it is not more, or 

 other, legislation that is required, but a 

 more vigorous application and enforcement 

 of existing legislation. No law is of value 

 unless it is enforced. The owners of wood- 

 Ij'nd should recognize the tact that human 

 laws will not enforce themselves, and that 

 it is their bounden duty to become prose- 

 cutors of the parties who cause forest fires 

 wherever there is a chance to secure a 

 fav(U-able verdict. It is noteworthy that 

 the \'ery persons who complain loudest of 

 I 111' inefficiency of our state laws against 

 these fires are the ones who .seldom give 

 active aid in enforcing those laws. 



Year after year from fifty to one hundred 

 thousand dollars are spent in the suppres- 

 sion of forest fires in this state. In addi- 

 tion to this we must consider the value of 

 till' timber destroyed. If $.50,000 a year 

 were sjjent in employing an eflScient police 

 force during periods of danger from fire, 

 it would prevent this drain upon the state, 

 and would lead so frequently to the arrest 

 of those who create the fires as to make 

 it .-111 unpopular and dangerous business, 

 and soon practically end it. 



The most urgent need, not only in Penn- 

 sylvania, but in all of the states, is a wise 

 system of taxation as applied to growing 

 .■md maturing forests. There is probably 

 no resource of the state or nation in which 

 so many vital interests are concerned as 

 in the protection of our otherwise unpro- 

 ductive lands by a dense growth of valuable 

 timber. J'ublic health, the agricultural and 

 \\ ood working, power-producing and min- 

 ing interests are all intimately associated 

 with il. We can neither lessen nor evade 

 ilio lolationshiij. Vet, in spite of these 

 facts, our system of taxation obliges the 

 timber owner and producer to impoverish 

 the state and nation by removal of ma- 

 ture, and often immature, timber. Wliat- 

 I ver system of taxation exists for the land 

 itself, it is clear that there should be no 

 taxation of standing timber. Tax it when 

 it is cut. Place upon it at that time a 

 sufficient income tax to reimburse the state 

 lor loss of revenue and for protection ac 

 corded whilst the timber was growing. The 

 vast majority of our public servants are 

 nii'ii of strict honesty, though they have 

 thus far failed to give us a ,just and equit 

 able system of forest taxation. . It is a 

 great pity that along with so much integ- 

 rity there has not been associated suf- 

 ticiont statesmanship to perceive the funda- 

 mental error of driving the state to im- 

 [loverish itself, and so handicap the future 

 and jilace upon our children burdens heavier 

 than we have ever carried. 



Within recent years a new application has 

 been made of the old common, law maxim, 

 that We must so use our own as not to in- 

 .jure another, in an effort being made to 

 ri'strain (he timber owner from cutting his 



