THE FOREST HOLOCAUST 



How the Press of the Country Comments on the Recent Forest Fires 

 A Symposium on the Destruction of Our Standing Timber 



RECENT issues of CONSERVATION 

 have had much to say in re- 

 gard to the wholesale destruc- 

 tion of forests and the appalling 

 losses brought by fires through- 

 out the entire country. Following is 

 a symposium, gleaned from the col- 

 umns of the daily press, on this sub- 

 ject. There is little to be added to the 

 expressions herein contained ; but, for 

 the information of those of our readers 

 who may have thought that CONSERVA- 

 TION has been unduly exercised over 

 the matter of losses bv forest fires, we 

 have taken the trouble to get too ether 

 these extracts. They are enlightening, 

 if for no other reason than that they 

 show clearly the ever-widening senti- 

 ment in favor of safeguarding the for- 

 ests ; but, besides this, they show un- 

 mistakably that this magazine is not 

 alone in recognizing the danger that 

 threatens our timber supply. 



iTKTir.ITY OK SOU. r,<'KMI> OU1 



In an article in the rionccr /';v.\\\, <>t 

 Si. Paul, Thomas Shaw recently called 

 attention to the vast loss to agriculture 

 caused by the series of forest tires that 

 swept northern Minnesota and urged 

 the need of better protection <.f the for- 

 ests, as advocated by the American 

 Civic Association. Mr. Shaw wrote: 



"The real loss is far greater than any 

 estimate shows, based upon the amount 

 of timber consumed and the value of 

 the property of the settler and tin- 

 houses and improvements of village- 

 and towns. The greatest los-, proba- 

 bly, is one that is never taken into ac- 

 count the loss of young tress and tin- 

 loss in humus. 



"After <>nc <>f these terrible confla- 

 grations has -\\cp' over a timber .-lash- 

 ing not a living thing of vegetation is 

 left. Xature has to IK gin a-ain the 

 work for furnishing protect i-m for the 

 naked earth; years mn-t elapse before 

 the traces of the dreary desolation are 

 hidden. The farmer who return- t > 

 rebuild hi> h< .me upon the ashes is \\iih- 

 out material for building or fencing, 

 and soon he is without material for liv- 

 ing, except what he buys. 



"P.ut the loss of humus i- .1 far 

 greater loss. The vegetable matter so 

 abundant on the surface of the s oil in 

 a new country is devoured by the 

 flames. The top soil with all that it 

 contains is turned into ashc-. For two 

 or three years good crops may fol!, >\\ 

 because of the abundance ot ashes lying 

 over the soil, but the stimulating eflf 

 of these is sn.n lo-t. The area \\u\- 

 burned over will r >ver what it 



by such a contla^rati"ii in a SC I 

 of years, or in a period much Ion. 



\r.Kl> NATIONAL l IKK Dl.l'AKl \! i:\ I 



There i- a general demand for the 

 iblishment of a national tire depart- 

 ment which, in a systematic and 

 cient way. shall keep guard over the 

 Forests. With ! regating tcn- 



. .f millions nf dollars in the amouir 

 lumber de-troycd. with - *f per 



sons burned to death, with bund: 

 made homeless and with all the 

 damage to the -"i!. thi- is a ^rave qu 

 ti. iii. hut there on-lit be no hesitancy in 

 getting ti work. 



"What this country n na- 



tional tire department." ur^es the San 

 (Unhc. "Recent reports nf 



687 



