AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A majority of our people have had no predicate its plans should not have to 



iccasion to study these matters, and, experiment with untried theories; al- 



onsequently, are not informed, and do though in order to meet local conditions 



lot realize the dangers which threaten we may find it necessary to inaugurate 



is. It is estimated that the timber sup- some new methods. However, the gen- 



ily of our country at the present rate eral principles of forestry are the same 



if cutting cannot last longer than the world over. 1 



\venty years, and yet little has been In this country the forests are already 



one to avert the calamities which must on the ground. All that is necessary is 



ollow, and which we already have to to bring them to a full state of'pro- 



nntend with. Experience is usually the ductiveness. It does not take a wise 



est teacher, and we may in a measure man, a senator, a president, or a mem- 



void the disasters and perils through her of Parliament to tell you that a 



,-hich other countries have passed by crisis is at hand. Go to the forests of 



dt'pting similar measures for our pro- the South, and the employees of the 



Action. There is no reason why we lumber companies will tell you that tim- 



liould suffer as other nations have; ber supplies will not last over twenty 



rum their experience we should derive years. The surveyors, mill owners, tim- 



isdom and act accordingly. bermen, and speculators will tell you 



While our forests have already been the same stories. Already the em- 



ndly damage;!, we still possess suffi- ployees of sawmills are saving their 



lent forest land to grow timber enough earnings and buying a few acres of 



. meet all our needs. Our forests are land, looking forward to the time when 



ne of ,,ur renewable resources, and. sawmilling will be a thing of the past, 



lu-ii rightly handled, go on producing and they must provide for a home Go 



rop after crop indefinitely, yielding to these people who are nearest nature 



ife returns on the investment. The and they will tell how n our 



untries of Europe and Japan know forests are being exhatised, and how 



lis, and their forests are daily growing they dread to think f th calamities of 



lore and more productive. t l le f uture 

 The countries which to-day manage 

 ieir forests on sound principles have 



issed through four stages of forest UISIANA OUTPUT GREATEST 



cperience. At first the forests were so T , 



mndant as to be in the way, and were , L . OU1S ana 1S to ; da y producing more 



fleeted or destroyed. Next, as set- 1""1 b " th fP a ^ state f ' ; e Union > ex " 



ements sprang up and the forests re- C , ept Washington, and will continue to 



ided farther' and farther from the d f s for ma y years to come, and why 



aces where wood was needed the ques- n cen turies? Our forests of pine. 



>nof 1< ical w< .od supplies had to be met ? ""]' c yP ress < oak > hickory, and other 



i'l the forests were protected. Third' are the niost magnificent 



ie increasing need for wood led to the any ln the world > ancl it seems as if 



icognition of the forest as a crop like " ature designed these to be protective 



;riniltural crops, which had to be forests owing to the fact chat mighty 



anted, cared for and harvested. Fi- " vers flow through our state to the 



illy, in order to benefit the general i? ulf> which is our southern boundary 



elfare, forests were safe-guarded and Forests were intended to protect 



ntrolled so as to yield a crop year m Sml erosion ' cyclones, climatic 



*er year, and from one generation to ' g6S ' and hurricanes - Shall we 



LOther destr y the Protection that nature has 



So, our country, having had the ex- ^ ^ d ' mg {t ' and so 



1 l 



.W ^Sil^A^SS,^ Sa f i f S ry F m ?V S r d ^* 

 of denudation in' casing foods' and erosfon 8 " 4 ShOWing in this 



