DANGERS AND DISEASES. 

 DANGERS AND DISEASES. 



40 



The White Pine is subject to ii cousklerable number of destructive intlueiices eveu when 

 growing spontaneously, but a large proportion ;of these might be avoided if properly understood 

 and guarded against, since they are in great part due to human agency. 



INJURIES BY HUMAN AGENCY. 



The subject of forest fires lias been so fully discussed that it is unnecessary here to treat it 

 in detail, although the pine forests of the Xortheru States have sutiered more irreparable injury 

 from this than from all other destructive agencies combined. From the numerous suggestions 

 that have been made respecting protection from fire and from ixunecessary injuries in general, the 

 most important appear to be: 



(1) That a Avell-digested code of laws, capable of prompt enforcement, based upon the 

 recommendation of a nonpolitical forest commission, is of ]uiinary importance 



Fig. 4. — Girdltrd "White Pine contiuaing to grew. 



(2) That a correct public .sentiment, encouraged by a wider dissemination of information 

 concerning the value of forest products and the time required for their growth, will have more 

 iutiuence than all other means together iu preventing unnecessary destruction. 



Unlike the Loblolly Tine of the Southern States, or the lied Tine with which it is commonly 

 associated, White Pine has a thin bark during the first thirty to fifty years, which affords bnt 

 slight protection from fire. Conse(iuently, the species sutlers much in young growths from surface 

 fires, which do little or no harm to the thick-barked pines and hardwoods. Iu the mature trees 

 the growing layer is much better protected, as the bark with age becomes proportionately thicker 

 than that of Red Pine. 



Kelated to the foregoing, and properly x'laced under the head of injuries to be charged to 



human responsibility, are wounds occasioned by cattle. A pine forest is less liable to injury 



from the browsing of cattle than one comjiosed of deciduous trees, and in the Eastern States old 



pastures commonly grow up to pine, the deciduous species being kept down by the cattle, lint in 



2023.3— No. 22 i 



