36 SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 



kept at home. From the time the pine mast falls* until the little tree is one 

 year old it affords a natural delicacy for the hogs— but only a delicacy, from 

 the fact that a hog has to cover so much territory to live on this scattered 

 food that he evolves into a high-speed brute, like Kipling's "kangaroo." 



The fires and the hogs are enough to complete the destruction; but add to 

 these a few sheep which have the habit of eating the conelike buds out of the' 

 tops, and the little trees, which have escaped other enemies, are killed. 



Without being in possession of any figures obtained by scientific investiga- 

 tion, it might be safe to say that one fire-spreading man, with twenty hogs, 

 twenty sheep, and ten cows, will keep ten thousand acres devastated. 



Nature does not give up the fight, however. She attacks the hogs with 

 cholera, the cows with tick fever, and the man with poverty; but with what 

 terrific cost to civilization! 



Let me tell you of one tract of ten thousand acres which reforested itself. 

 The seeding period was fifty years ago when men were in the war and when 

 hogs and cows were scarce. About one-half the timber on this tract is long- 

 leaf pine; the other half is shortleaf pine. The reforestation did not cost 

 the owner one cent. As it came easily, it was sold cheap; land, timber and 

 all for $27,000. During the past five years this tract has paid the owners 

 $27,000 in turpentine rent; has paid to the renter more than $100,000. I un- 

 derstand, in the value of the turpentine. The timber is worth at present 

 stumpage prices over $50,000; and on a good market would be worth more 

 than $75,000. The sawed value of the timber would probably be worth as 

 much as $500,000. As the land alone is worth much more than the purchase 

 price, we can see that Nature's gift on this tract must be considerably in 

 excess of $200,000; or more than $4,000 per year. While this land has proba- 

 bly been fire swept during recent years, the pine tree after it is several years 

 old fortunately has a bark which will stand fire. The fire retards its growth, 

 but does not kill the tree after the first few years. 



A friend told me of an experience he had in the pine belt where there was 

 no stock law. He bought about five hundred acres from which the pine trees 

 had been cut. About six years ago he fenced ten acres of it. Recently he visited 

 the place and found all the land outside of the fence just as he had left it 

 years ago. Inside of the fence was a beautiful growth of longleaf pine, not 

 less than one hundred trees to the acre. This man is naturally a strong 

 advocate of stock laws which will protect the forest. 



In this connection it is well to consider the worthlessness of woods cattle. 

 This was brought home to me recently. Some parties joined in a plan to 

 carry on a small cattle feeding and dairying experiment, which was to be 

 enlarged if it proved a success. The manager was a Hollander who, while 

 he understands cows, was a stranger to the cattle and methods of this coun- 

 try. He was struck with the cheapness of the woods cow and thought he 

 could start with these and improve them. After feeding about forty head of 

 woods cattle until they had about consumed their value in feed, and after 

 going through the trials of tick fever and working with the cattle all fall 

 and winter, it became perfectly clear that the wise thing to do was to dis- 

 pose of them and start over again; and the owners were glad to sell the cows 



* Nearly all of the seeds of the longleaf pine are devoured by hogs before they have time to germi- 

 nate. Those that by some Iticky chance escape, and become seedlings, are rooted out, even after they 

 reach several years of age, the succulent roots of the pine being relished by the hog. — Editor. 



