65 g AMERICAN FORESTRY 



cise this function. As this was not or we may see the day when a saw- 

 realized a century ago by the framers mill will find it profitable to burn coal 

 of our Constitution, the forester now under the boilers in order to utilize the 

 asks that the same step be taken as sawdust. 



in all other business to stop and in- From conservation it is not a great 



ventory our methods, in an attempt to s t e p to the exercise of forestry as a 



remedy the evils that will no longer be science. The final idea of forestry is 



glossed over. As a first step to this, to treat trees as a soil crop, as grain is 



we are to set aside certain lands that treated, with this difference the time 



we can still obtain, as a temporary in- o f rotation. Ordinarily the time of 



junction to further abuse. Where rotation for a soil crop such as grain 



President Taft has erred, with all good O r fruit is one year, but in forestry this 



intentions, has been that after certain j s increased by one hundred or more 



lands had been closed by a free inter- fold, or three natural generations. This, 



pretation of an act which gave the however, is counterbalanced by the sta- 



President power to close those lands, i^j^. ot - t j ie cro p and t he certainty of 



he threatened to destroy the entire for- rcturn for the forest hag but three ene . 



est policy of the nation by returns ^ fi ^.^ aml vermi reduced 



them upon a technicality. I echn ca ^ ^ absolute 



andbteralh hewaspn.bal ynght b ccrtain ^ ^ 

 no technicality could restore the land 



to us, once it were lost. '" ' *ery complicated methods forestry 

 Coincident with this movement for keeps a continuous growth oi trees ot 

 technical and scientific forestry has all ages from seedling to mature trees 

 been another quite as important which in its forest, and endeavors to cut each 

 has taken it- initiative in the practical year only a number of large saw-log 

 commercial world of affairs con -erva- trees corresponding in volume to the 

 t.'on by conversion of waste into by- amount of woody material put on by- 

 products. Xot all of the forest trees tne entire .stand tor the year; it keeps 

 are Considered valuable for commercial t he ground shaded, and finding out the 

 purposes and as we have weeds spring- peculiarities of the soil, favors those 

 ing up among the lower plant life of S p ec ies mO st fitted to it. It would prob- 

 the soil, we have weed trees Examples ably be j nl p OSS jbl c to get a private in- 

 of this of recent date are the use of divi(lual to eng - c in such an under- 

 beech and tupelo. and the treatment of d commercial view- 

 discarded species of pine with preser va- * ^ J ^ 

 tives such as creosote, borne twent) l f 

 years ago, not more than half of the at compound interest or a rotation of 

 trees were taken down at the first cut- even sixty years would be very con- 

 tin- as the rest were considered use- siderable. \\ e must look to the go v- 

 less" Of the trees that are taken from eminent to come forward and, if not 

 the forest, not one-half of the original take charge of such an undertaking, at 

 volu re goes into the final product. The least to encourage it by beneficent laws 

 roots and branches make up one-third t ] ia t will overcome the present handi- 

 or more of the woody volume, but are ca p o f unscrupulous business over pub- 

 left in the woods, while the dust taken jj c S pj r j t \y e have given protection to 

 out by the saw, the slabs and trim- develop many unworthy infant indus- 

 mings reduce the volume an additional tHes , & protective tar iff ; a nd yet here 

 fraction. Just recently, we have found ^ mogt worthy of all industries, in the 

 or part of these unused pieces ^ ^ protection, receives no en- 

 yielded paper pulp alcohol resin couragement . The least the govern- 

 tannic acid, and he day ^^ do is to rdieve those who 

 doubtless very near when the sawdust cnVntifir 

 burner will be considered a public dis- have placed their forests under scientific 

 grace, when no saw-mill can be run management, of the burden 

 profitably without working up its waste ; during the first crop rotation. 



