AMERICAN FORESTRY 



623 



TO HAND HAS SOMETHING ON FORESTRY" 



purposes. We can never hope to prosper 

 by wasting our substance. Our forests are 

 national wealth and one of our most val- 

 uable assets of future prosperity. We must 

 not waste them. Let them be not only 

 conserved, but multiplied. We shall sorely 

 need 'them by and by. 



Rochester Herald: W. B. Greeley, chief 

 forester of the United States, declares that 

 there are in the United States a hundred 

 million acres, or about 5 per cent of the 

 total area, capable of producing trees, and 

 fit for nothing else, that are not being put 

 to any sort of use. On much of this land 

 no taxes are paid. Now it is evident that 

 this vast area cannot be brought under 

 tree cultivation by viewing the future with 

 alarm or by scolding the past for its waste- 

 fulness. The work of forestation on Gov- 

 ernment lands can only be done by a 

 comprehensive and continuous programme, 

 backed up by a sufficient appropriation, and 

 on lands privately owned, by agitation and 

 education. In our treeless wastes there is 

 great potential wealth, and we owe it to 

 the generations coming after us to make 

 a start on an extensive plan for the fores- 

 tation of these areas, that the wealth may 

 be made real. We have had about enough 

 speculation on the subject. It is time now 

 for action. 



/' 



Indianapolis News: The report of the 

 committee on forest conservation of the 

 American Paper and Pulp Association is 

 significant largely because it agrees in the 

 main with other reports made by other 

 associations having various objects in 

 view. The paper and pulp interests inves- 

 tigated the forest situation with a view to 

 suggesting means of providing for a per- 

 manent supply of raw material for the in- 

 dustry. Their committee found that this 

 can best be done by adopting a conserva- 

 tion and reforestation plan similar to that 

 suggested by the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation and various State organizations in- 

 terested in forests. 



The forests now existing must be cared 

 for and their products distributed with 

 due regard for conservation. They must 

 be surveyed so that the Government will 

 not have to depend on vague estimates as 

 to the forest resources of the country. New 

 forests rnust be planted, and not only 

 planted, but constantly watched by ex- 

 perts and developed under expert super- 

 vision. Means for research should be 

 provided, and the .Federal Government 

 should encourage the States to adopt State 

 forest policies to conform to the national 

 policy and to harmonize with the Federal 



forest policy. The States can aid in en- 

 couraging the planting of poor farm land 

 in forests. 



As to how far the Federal Government 

 should go in acquiring forests and land 

 suitable for developing into forests is a 

 question that must be considered Mani- 

 festly, it is unwise to give the Federal 

 Government a monopoly of the raw mate- 

 rial for print paper. In the hands of 

 dishonest politicians, such a monopoly 

 might be used with telling effect. The na- 



TO POVERTY OR PROSPERITY 



THE SIGNBOARDS 



One road leads to destroyed resources, lost lives 

 and homes, diminished pay rolls, dwindling 

 markets, higher taxes; the other to life and 

 property safe, market for crops, pleasant camp- 

 ing places, fish and game preserved, community 

 wealth. Which shall it be? So says the Pueblo 

 Colorado Chieftain. 



tional forest policy item in the report lacks 

 a suggestion as to how this danger can 

 be obviated. It is probable that strict 

 supervision and regulation of privately 

 owned forests is to be preferred to Gov- 

 ernment ownership of vast tracts, but the 

 Government should own forests for ex- 

 perimental and park purposes. 



Waterbury American: "The Next Step 

 in the Forestry Program" is the title of the 

 last report of the committee on forest con- 

 servation of the American Paper and Pulp 

 Association, which has just been published 

 in pamphlet form. All persons interested 

 in the forests of this country, either as a 

 source of raw materials for our industries. 

 or for other purposes, will be interested 

 in what this committee has to say. 



The report says that wood pulp is the 

 chief constituent of approximately 90 per 

 cent of the paper manufactured in this 

 country today, and that the amount of news 

 print paper and other papers manufac- 

 tured from wood has been increasing 

 tremendously for the past to years. The 



increased production of paper from pulp 

 has resulted naturally in increased de- 

 mand for timber, followed of course, by 

 diminishing supply and increasing cost of 

 raw materials. The committee which: pre- 

 pared the report believes that the time has 

 now come for definitely drawn acts of 1 g- 

 islation and recommends that authoriza- 

 tion be given the committee to proceed im- 

 mediately in the formulation anu introduc- 

 tion into Congress of a bill embodying an 

 adequate national forestry policy upon the 

 general theory that in addition to the 

 direct activities of the National Govern- 

 ment, a comprehensive forest policy re- 

 quires co-operation of the States, since 

 State forest reserves will contribute to 

 national wealth and the products of such 

 reserves will be used by States that are 

 non-contributory. Hence, aid in the State 

 development of forest wealth available for 

 interstate consumption should be con- 

 tributed by the National Government. An 

 annual appropriation of $6,0uv,l>uu for for- 

 est extension, care of forest resources and 

 for research, is asked for, the amount to 

 be expended in each State to bear rela- 

 tion to the amount appropriated for the 

 same objects by the State itself. 



The recommendations, the committee 

 says, can not be criticised on the basis of 

 the expense involved, which is exceed- 

 ingly moderate in view of the magnitude of 

 the problem to be solved, and represent 

 true economy in the treatment of a basic 

 national resource. 



Palerson News: The American Forestry 

 Association has issued an appeal to every 

 school in the country to plant a tree. Tree- 

 planted schoolhouse grounds will serve 

 several ends. If every schoolhouse could 

 be made a center of pretty landscape gar- 

 dening, the idea would spread from the 

 children to the homes. People would want 

 the grounds around other public buildings 

 improved. The unsightly railroad station* 

 and other structures which now serve the 

 public so shabbily would be given a setting 

 of foliage. 



Children who acquire this idea of beauti- 

 naation will keep it when they grow up. 

 When they move to a newly laid out street 

 they won't be content with treeless land 

 and shrubless soil, but will want a nest of 

 verdure around their homes. This will im- 

 prove property, make real estate more valu- 

 able and give a town a reputation for im- 

 provement spirit. These children would be 

 apt to become more interested in trees, 

 learn how much value they add to waste 

 land, and perhaps do some reforestation if 

 they ever own land. 



