60 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1915. 



soil, iu short, as the assurance of his liveli- 

 liooil ami that of his heirs. 



' * The yoiuig people of the rural districts 

 should be trained to see the difference be- 

 tween the value of a stripped woodlot and 

 a conserved woodlot. The first has a worth 

 that is but for a time, while the other with 

 judgment can last for generations. 



"The government of Sweden owns and 

 cares for 18,000,000 acres of forest land. 

 The proceeds from this state property pay 

 for all workers in it, for the forestry 

 schools, and a large portion of the public 

 school expenses. This latter expenditure is 

 no mean amount when it is considered that 

 Swedish schools are splendidly equipped 

 and education is so extensive that Sweden 

 has the least percentage of illiterate in- 

 habitants of any of the European nations. 

 "Xorwav and Germany reap a high 

 in-ofit from' their forest holdings, and more 

 than that it is found that these forests 

 are better today than they were at the or- 

 ganization of the system. 



"If it is thus a financial success in great 

 areas^ why not for the individual farmer"? 

 "In wishing to reach a point upon which 

 I may arouse interest in trees, I will enum- 

 erate the general uses of forests: They fur- 

 nish fuel and lumber; they regulate and 

 ](romote, to a degree, rainfall; they pro- 

 tect the country from destructive winds; 

 they hold water in the soil, thus prevent- 

 ing' floods; they promote health by using 

 poisonous gases and give off life-sustain- 

 ing oxvgen; in the decay of their fallen 

 leaves ' and branches they furnish humus 

 for the soil; they are the upkeep of a cir- 

 culatory system through which surface 

 springs are retained; they are the breed- 

 ing places of animals and of birds, those 

 able but unrecognized farmers' friends. 

 And lastly, they add beauty to the 

 scenery. What we love we will preserve. 

 ' ' Tlie members of this Institute could 

 each do a share to implant in the young 

 mind the beauty and comfort of trees — 

 then the profit. 



"A property that is beautifully set 

 amidst trees, is an addition to the com- 

 munity. Many, or most of the rural homes 

 of our country stand devoid of these na- 

 tural adornments. All rural school grounds 

 lack them. Frequently lengthy roadways 

 to a home subject one to unprotected heat 

 in summer and bleak winds in winter. 



"With all the beauties nature has so 

 generously lavished upon us, how little we 

 are retaining! Parts of our country be- 

 come less and less lovely as the years pass 

 by. Koads that should have been left as 

 avenues, delightful to travel, have been 

 ruined by cutting down all border trees. 

 Lakes are fringed with ugly stump lands, 

 no trees left for cattle shade, nor for beau- 

 tifying the margin of water. 



' ' Now there is a xn-ofit in natural beauty. 



I have been told that England holds in its 

 rural districts so much that is charming 

 that the tourist finds vast enjoyment in 

 its paths, roads and streams. 



"It is a fact that American cities and 

 towns reveal more pride in trees than do 

 the rural districts. Bridgewater, I think, 

 evinces generally a more pleasing appear- 

 ance in its residential quarters, solely 

 through the care of trees than some por- 

 tions of the surrounding sections do with 

 all their better chances. Care for the trees 

 you have! Plant new ones. Keep alive 

 the spirit of forestry. 



"I will close with two thoughts of Rus- 

 kin: (1) 'It is the law of economy to make 

 the best of everything.' (2) 'Everyone is 

 intended to find an exquisite happiness in 

 one's own best efforts.' " 



NEWSPAPERS. 



They ?ent my forest to a paper mill, 



Mv forest, lifted Foleinnly and still 



For skies to brood and morning sun to kiss, 



Xow torn to pulp and flattened into this— - 



This endless mass of paper, smudged with 



ink, 

 And flung abroad to men that will not think. 



Instead of sweet green leaves, this dingy 



white ; 

 Instead of bird songs and the pure <lelight 

 Of sturdy trunk and loving shadowy bough, 

 The berry glints, the asters — nothing now 

 But crumpled pages whirled beneath a train,, 

 Or sodden in a gutter by the rain. 



Ah, when, thou monstrous Press, thou mighty 



force. 

 When wilt thou bear thee worthy of thy 



source? 

 When, in the glad remembrance of the wood. 

 Wilt thou be soundly sweet and staunchly 



good. 

 Fragrant and pure and masterfully free. 

 And calmly strong as thine our parent tree? 

 Amos Fi. Wells, in Harper's WeeUy. 



TESTING POPLAR GROWTH. 



The practicability of growing cotton- 

 wood (poplar) for pulp making was 

 recentlv presented at a public meeting by 

 Mr. R."^ T. Houk, Secretary of the Mead 

 Pulp and Paper Co. of Chillicothe, O. 

 Trees planted by the company four years 

 ago, 1.000 to the acre, he said, would be 

 harvested in 12 years. Mr. Houk said the 

 growth was one" inch a year in diameter 

 and he had witnessed two inches a year 

 in the Mississippi valley. The United 

 States' Forestry Department are closely 

 observing the experiments. 



