1328 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



In the management of the Italian State Forests, silver 

 fir has been demonstrated to be the most successful tree. 

 Its chief advantages are that it is easily regenerated; it 

 grows rapidly ; it is comparatively free from insect and 

 other attack, and it yields a wood of excellent quality for 

 the lumber market. It is usually cut at from 90 to 100 

 years of age, and the areas are replanted immediately 

 with five-year old trees. The latter are kept two years 

 in a seed bed, and three years in transplant beds. They 

 are spaced one meter apart each way, and it costs from 

 aDout 26 to 30 lire, or roughly, from $5.00 to $6.00 per 

 thousand trees for reforestation. An improvement cut- 

 ting is made every ten years. Since the forestry policy 

 was instituted in Italy in 1867, and down to June 30, 

 1912, 39,932 hectares or about 100,000 acres of forest 

 land has been reforested at an expense of 15,085 lire, 

 which is equivalent to about $3,000,000 according to the 

 official Italian statistics. The forestry officials have ap- 

 proved a reforestation policy of 81,764 hectares or about 

 200,000 acres, which only awaits funds for rapid 

 execution. It is estimated that over 1,000,000 acres of 

 forest have been completely destroyed and devastated 

 along the Italian front during the war, and it is believed 

 that the only solution to the difficult problem is refores- 

 tation. 



To supply her enormous lumber needs Italy can now 

 look to only Switzerland, the United States and Canada. 

 Before the war she imported about 75 per cent of her lum- 

 ber from Austria and about 7/9 of her wood pulp from 

 Germany and Austria. Switzerland is normally an im- 

 porter of lumber and can not long keep up its export, so 

 that Italy will probably have to depend upon this country 

 and Canada for all we can possibly send her. 



Before the war Italy's home production of lumber 

 was far short of her needs and great quantities of soft 

 wood especially were imported. Since the war the 

 situation has become more serious, all the more so be- 

 cause the war was fought in the precise region of Italy 

 that is richest in soft wood. Not only the damages of 

 war but the uneconomical use caused by the urgency of 

 the demands for lumber for war needs caused the dis- 

 astrous depletion. Soft woods and poplar in the war zone 

 are said to have been forced to yield two or three times 

 their normal production. 



The new provinces to be added to Italy as a result of 

 the war will give her new forestal riches, especially as 

 most of the wood in the added territories is of the kind 

 not common in Italy. But it is hardly sufficient to de- 

 crease even slightly the gravity of the situation and Italy 

 must import large quantities of lumber in the coming 

 years because of the increased demand of her industries 

 and the necessity of rigorously sparing the forests situated 

 within her old confines to allow them time for regrowth. 



"IVr L. CAREY, forest assistant in the Olympic Na- 

 -L '• tional Forest, has discovered what he believes to 

 be the largest spruce tree in the world. It measures 16 

 feet in diameter 4J/£ feet above the ground. It is on the 

 south side of the Solduck River. The top was broken 

 off 150 feet above the ground. 



THE FIR 



By Donald A. Fraser 



O Forest Fir! 



Standing so straight and so slender. 



Gigantic, yet slender; 



Spreading thine arms so benignly 



In benison over thy kindred. 



Why dost thou shiver and groan. 



And moan like a spirit in anguish? 



Dost hear the far axe being sharpened. 



The blades that shall sever thy heart-strings, 



And lay thee a-low in thy glory? 



Moan not; for to all comes a season 



When Earth calleth back what -was 



borrowed; 

 So he who shall shatter thy life-dream. 

 In turn shall his life-dream be shattered. 

 Then moan not, O Forest Fir slender, 

 And groan not in anguish and sorrow; 

 But stretch forth thine evergreen fingers 

 And touch on the strings of the wind-harp 

 A melody sweet and caressing, 

 A pean of love and forgiveness; 

 And breathe o er the world so ungrateful 

 Thy resinous odors of healing. 

 Right on till the axe shall incise thee. 

 Perchance when thy last groan is uttered. 

 And the thunderous crash of thy death- 

 plunge 

 Shall melt in the aisles of the forest. 

 That God will begin a new era 

 For thee, a new lease of achievement; 

 And thus thy proud death shall accomplish 

 Far more than thy bourgeoning life-span, 

 O Forest Fir, 

 Standing so stately and slender! 



