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  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1943 
  

  

  on 
  unhindered. 
  Records 
  of 
  the 
  Taiping 
  Rebellion 
  are 
  full 
  of 
  ac- 
  

   counts 
  of 
  destruction 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  forests. 
  In 
  1911 
  there 
  were 
  large 
  

   forests 
  on 
  Loh 
  Fau 
  Shan 
  about 
  50 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Canton, 
  but 
  Prof. 
  

   R. 
  Mell 
  reports 
  that 
  by 
  1921 
  only 
  a 
  sixth 
  of 
  them 
  were 
  left 
  and 
  by 
  

   now 
  they 
  are 
  probably 
  all 
  gone. 
  Loh 
  Fau 
  Shan 
  was, 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  

   10 
  years 
  following 
  1922, 
  a 
  bandit 
  land 
  where 
  no 
  government 
  official 
  

   dared 
  intrude. 
  

  

  Along 
  with 
  the 
  weakening 
  and 
  modernizing 
  of 
  the 
  Government 
  

   following 
  the 
  revblution 
  has 
  occurred 
  the 
  steady 
  decline 
  in 
  the 
  in- 
  

   fluence 
  of 
  the 
  Buddhist 
  temples 
  and 
  monasteries, 
  which 
  have 
  long 
  

   protected 
  their 
  encircling 
  forests 
  and 
  jungles 
  as 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  reverence 
  

   for 
  wildlife. 
  But 
  as 
  their 
  official 
  state 
  support 
  dwindled 
  they, 
  like 
  

   the 
  abandoned 
  Manchu 
  officials, 
  sold 
  their 
  assets 
  for 
  commercial 
  

   exploitation. 
  

  

  The 
  factors 
  making 
  for 
  preservation 
  of 
  forests 
  in 
  China 
  are 
  far 
  

   weaker 
  than 
  those 
  making 
  for 
  destruction, 
  but 
  are, 
  nevertheless, 
  worthy 
  

   of 
  some 
  consideration. 
  Foremost 
  among 
  these 
  is 
  the 
  difficulty 
  of 
  trans- 
  

   porting 
  the 
  forest 
  products 
  in 
  areas 
  distant 
  from 
  rivers 
  and 
  streams. 
  

   Where 
  trees 
  must 
  be 
  carried 
  for 
  long 
  distances 
  on 
  the 
  backs 
  of 
  coolies 
  

   over 
  simple 
  mountain 
  trails, 
  forests 
  can 
  remain 
  (pi. 
  9, 
  fig. 
  1). 
  Until 
  

   the 
  motor 
  or 
  railroad 
  age 
  reaches 
  western 
  China 
  its 
  vast 
  forests 
  are 
  

   safe. 
  Likewise 
  the 
  Buddhist 
  philosophy 
  of 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  all 
  life 
  

   and 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  that 
  religion 
  for 
  isolated 
  seclusion 
  have 
  preserved 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  ages 
  many 
  remnants 
  of 
  the 
  primeval 
  forest 
  and 
  even 
  

   aided 
  new 
  forests 
  to 
  grow 
  up. 
  These 
  preserved 
  oases 
  are 
  of 
  great 
  

   scientific 
  value 
  in 
  showing 
  what 
  the 
  original 
  native 
  vegetation 
  was 
  and 
  

   thus 
  enabling 
  modern 
  reforestation 
  to 
  proceed 
  on 
  a 
  sound 
  biological 
  

   foundation. 
  

  

  The 
  emphasis 
  that 
  western 
  writers 
  have 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  

   Chinese 
  forests 
  has 
  often 
  blinded 
  people 
  to 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  forestry 
  

   that 
  has 
  existed 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  even 
  for 
  many 
  centuries. 
  In 
  places 
  

   there 
  are 
  clan 
  or 
  communit}? 
  forest 
  projects, 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  al- 
  

   ready 
  been 
  referred 
  to. 
  W. 
  C. 
  Lowdermilk 
  has 
  mentioned 
  seeing 
  well- 
  

   managed 
  communal 
  forests 
  that 
  exceed 
  any 
  similar 
  enterprises, 
  even 
  

   those 
  of 
  Germany. 
  Foresters 
  who 
  have 
  visited 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  in- 
  

   accessible 
  parts 
  of 
  Kwangtung 
  and 
  Kwangsi 
  have 
  been 
  surprised 
  to 
  

   find 
  thriving 
  reforestation 
  projects 
  using 
  the 
  southern 
  fir 
  (Cunning 
  - 
  

   hamia 
  lanceolata) 
  , 
  grown 
  when 
  young 
  under 
  the 
  shade 
  of 
  manihot 
  or 
  

   cassava 
  bushes. 
  They 
  report 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  largely 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  a 
  greater 
  

   appreciation 
  by 
  the 
  aboriginees 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   Chinese 
  near 
  them 
  are 
  favorably 
  influenced 
  to 
  adopt 
  their 
  methods. 
  

   These 
  efforts 
  at 
  reforestation 
  probably 
  result 
  largely 
  from 
  the 
  need 
  

   for 
  forest 
  products. 
  Indeed 
  throughout 
  much 
  of 
  Kwangtung 
  the 
  

   growing 
  of 
  the 
  red 
  pine 
  (Pinus 
  massoniana) 
  for 
  fuel, 
  including 
  the 
  

  

  