Canadian Forestry Journal, February), 1920 



SOUTHERN STATES DEMAND NEW FOREST 



METHODS 



Canadians will be interested in this expres- 

 sion of the Southern Forestry Congress at New 

 Orleans last month. The lumber industry of 

 the Eastern States is now focused in the south, 

 where the main body of eastern timber stands. 

 The depletion of this timber by current methods 

 of logging brought from the Congress of busi- 

 ness men and foresters the following resolution: 



FOREST DENUDATION. 



Whereas, the supplies of softwood and hard- 

 wood timber in the Southern States are rapidly 

 diminishing, with a consequent influence upon 

 the price of lumber and other forest products. 



Be it resolved, by the Southern Forestry Con- 

 gress that it deplores the continuance of such 

 practice of denudation and urges, m order that 

 such practice may be avoided, the enactment of 

 legis-lation by the Southern States that will re- 

 quire or make possible the adoption of measures 



by owners that will prevent such denudation and 

 wil lafford an opportunity for a natural replace- 

 ment of forest growth on lands not suited or not 

 needed for agriculture or settlement; and, fur- 

 thermore, the Southern Forestry Congress urges 

 the States and the Federal Government jointly 

 to co-operate liberally with owners in this direc- 

 tion. 



SEED TREES. 



Whereas, the south is approaching the end 

 of its virgin timber supplies, and 



Whereas, great necessity exists for retaining 

 on cut-over lands enough seed-bearing trees to 

 restock these lands; therefore 



Be it resolved, that the Southern Forestry 

 Congress urges all owners of forest lands in the 

 south to pay particular attention to this matter 

 which is of such vital concern to the south's 

 welfare. 



BOY SCOUTS TO GRADUATE AS ''FOREST 



RANGERS'' 



Canadian Boy Scouts will be interested in a 

 newly-launched organization in Chicago called 

 the "Forest Rangers," which is intended to be- 

 gin where the Boy Scouts leave off, and afford 

 older boys a sort of post graduate course in 

 woodcraft and the elements of forestry, at the 

 same time instilling the wholesome principles of 

 life for which the Boy Scout movement has al- 

 ways stood. The new organization is spon- 

 sored by Chief Forester Ranee Kennicott, of 

 the Cook County (Illinois) forest preserve. As 

 in other juvenile organizations, there has been 

 a tendency on the part of the older scouts to 

 drop out at about the age of eighteen, or even 

 younger, notwithstanding special tasks with cor- 

 responding honors, medals, etc., designed to in- 

 terest and hold the older boys. The advent of 

 the "long pants" age has to a large degree been 

 the signal for getting out — simply gecause the 

 18-year old boy quite naturally regards himself 

 as almost, if not quite, a man; and does not 

 care to retain membership, unless as a scout- 

 master or aid, in an organization that carries 



the word "boy" in its title, particularly as the 

 bulk of its membership is made up of lads of 

 from 12 to 16 years of age. 



This objection seems to be effectively an- 

 swered by the new organization, which its pro- 

 moters believe will spread over the entire coun- 

 try and to foreign lands, just as tse Boy Scout 

 movement which it is designed to supplement — 

 not supplant — has done. Already the natty 

 green caps which form part of the winter uni- 

 form of the rangers are, upon Saturdays and 

 holidays, seen quite numerously in the Cook 

 county forest preserve, where the boys, as Chief 

 Forester Kennicott says, "are learning how to 

 take care of themselves in the woods, and how 

 to take care of the woods they are in." The age 

 limits for admission to membership in the rang- 

 ers are 15 to 21 years, and candidates are ex- 

 pected to "enlist" for a term of three years. The 

 courses of study, and practice, will include 

 woodcraft and elemental forestry, instruction in 

 preventing and in fighting forest fires, camping, 

 radio operation, etc. 



