96 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



request of the President and the Ministry of Agriculture 

 and Commerce, I have been led to believe that mountain 

 lands throughout the province of Chekiang that are not 

 lit for agriculture, cover six to seven-tenths of the entire 

 provincial area. These non-agricultural lands are tree- 

 less ami often hare of vegetation of any kind. 



"People living in these regions are poor and have 

 suffered fearfully through non-use of these mountain 

 lands. Idle lands are a detriment to society. The people 

 are not only paying high prices for wood on account of 

 wood-shortage, but also frequently experience destructive 

 Hoods, winds, insects, etc., which could be stopped if these 

 lands were properly utilized. 



"I have tried to find out the causes for such a state of 

 things and come to the conclusion that lack of forest is 

 the principal cause. 



"The benefits of forests are many, but I shall mention 

 only the following: 



1. Forestry, as compared with agriculture, requires 

 very little labor. 



'!. Thinnings and intermediate cuttings can be used for 

 fuel. 



>. Many valuable fruits are from forest trees. 



4. Matured trees furnish good timber for construction. 



">. Forests prevent drought and afford best cover to 

 soil. 



6. Forests check, or at least lessen, the severity of 

 floods, through absorption. 



7. Forests stop soil erosion and consequent silting up 

 of streams. 



8. Timbered lands can often be used for grazing pur- 

 poses. 



"For these and other reasons, I hereby ask you to help 

 promote forestry through the province. Consultations 

 with leading men and gentry in your hsien 1 will be neces- 

 sary. In your hsien select three or four areas for plant- 

 ing, each to be about fifty (50) mozv. For buying seed- 

 ling stock and preparation of land for planting spend 

 about $200.00. If the areas selected be on private lands, 

 ask the owners to help do the planting, and in case they 

 refuse, proceed and plant anyhow. Nobody shall in any 

 way prevent. After the different areas have been planted, 

 it will be necessary for the local police to protect them 

 from fire and thieves. 



"When all this is done, a detailed report will be in order. 

 Organize t the local people and induce them to undertake 

 private planting. Determine also the area to be planted 

 in future for your hsien. 



"I shall detail a man to make visits ere long, to see if 

 all the hsiens are following out the instructions as given 

 here. Due punishments will be given for neglect and 

 delay." 



Such a well-thought-out proclamation Is significant, and 

 the Governor i> certainly setting a high standard. It is 

 hoped that other provinces will follow suit, to make 

 China, which has been called "the horrible example of 

 forest neglect," a land in which to live happy, healthy and 

 useful lives. 



FAREWELL, OLD TREE 



By Paulina Brandreth 



Fair standest thou, O pine of royal girth, 

 Amid thy virgin host. Straight as a mast 



Thy fluted column towers from the earth, 

 And calm thy rugged trunk doth meet the blast, 

 And wide thy fronds of evergreen are cast 



Upon the living air. A perfect whole 

 Thy figure doth commemorate the past. 



Unmindful of the years that onward roll 



Thy steadfast beauty touches heart and soul. 



Alas ! we see thee fallen. Wrecked and shorn 



Like Samson of his strength, thou liest low; 

 Thy mighty limbs of bygone ages born 



Are stretched upon the moss in silent woe. 



No longer will thy head be crowned with snow, 

 Xor will our eyes aspiring behold 



Thy silhouette where sunset currents flow. 

 Farewell, old tree, farewell ! Thus art thou sold 

 In all thy splendor for a pot of gold ! 



MT. KATAHDIN FORESTRY RESERVE 



A CORRESPONDENT from Bangor, Me., writes: 

 At the annual meeting of the Maine Sportsmen's 

 Fish and Game Association, just held in Port- 

 land, the members of the organization went on record as 

 very enthusiastically in favor of a National Forest Re- 

 serve in the Mt. Katahdin section, a bill for which is 

 now before Congress. The scenic beauties of this sec- 

 tion are well known and there is much valuable timber 

 land as well as a great deal of game. Much of the land 

 in this section is owned by the Great Northern Paper 

 Company and there has been considerable speculation if 

 the National Forestry Reserve should be formed in this 

 region if it would include the famous Ripogenus Gorge, 

 one of the scenic beauty spots of Maine. At Ripogenus 

 the Great Northern is engaged in building a huge dam for 

 the purpose of greatly increasing the water power, which 

 has immense potentialities. 



means a district. 



WHAT ABOUT YOUR TOWN LIBRARY? 



DOES the library in your town take American 

 Forestry ? 



Will you let the American Forestry Associa- 

 tion know? 



There are pages of information in it each month which 

 are of particular value to the residents of your town. 

 Information relating to trees which may save the resi- 

 dents worry, expense and loss. 



If the library kept American Forestry on file it 

 would save your toivn much in the course of a year. 



