4io 



Garden and Forest. 



[August 20, 1890. 



corner is suddenly caught in the act of blooming. Hu- 

 man weakness hesitates to destroy so sturdy and beautiful a 

 flower, and the mischief is done for another long- course. On 

 the whole, with all their beauty, I am content to admire these 

 with Petunias in my neighbor's garden. Humiilus Jdponicus 

 completes a worthy trio of persistent seeders, and is perhaps 

 the worst of the lot. The seeds are light and are blown all 

 over the garden. They germinate with the first warmth of the 

 year. They run and twine in the most aggravating way, mak- 

 ing them difficult to eradicate. They would be capital plants 

 for covering large bare places. 



Adlumia cirrhosa (Allegheny Vine) is a much neater and 

 more pleasing vine for a small garden, though the withering 

 flowers give it a rather unthrifty look for a prominent place. 

 Though a biennial, it seems never to desert the garden. Ca- 

 lendulas may usually be found in the spring, as also a few 

 Asters, ordinarily single, and in a dry spot, after a favorable 

 season, Nasturtiums even may be found in plenty, and there 

 is a world of pleasure in a good breadth of this beautiful 

 flower. 



Union County, N. J. *~r. 



The Forest. 



Suggestions for Restoring Wasted Forests. 



ARGUMENT is no longer needed to show the necessity of 

 a more definite policy for the maintenance of our wood- 

 lands. Aside from a closer and more economical use of raw 

 material, there is but little difference between present forest- 

 management and that of a century ago. There is the same 

 cutting of everything that it will pay to handle, and the same 

 abandoning of everything else — land and all — to take care of 

 itself as best it may. That some land's become reforested in 

 time, and hence productive, is due rather to kind Nature and 

 good luck than to any intelligent labor or protection. For the 

 most part forest-lands are practically abandoned, and the work 

 of reforesting is indefinitely delayed. Time was when much 

 woodland was cleared for cultivation, but now, with sharp 

 competition under new economic conditions, such areas in 

 the older states grow fewer and fewer, and it has become evi- 

 dent that all lands not profitable for agriculture should be 

 utilized for forest-purposes. 



The artificial planting of forests, much as we may desire to 

 see it undertaken, seems yet a long way from us in the eastern 

 states, save possibly on a small scale, or to serve some inci- 

 dental purpose. The conditions which will make it either 

 feasible or profitable are not visible on our horizon. We can- 

 not create at once that public sentiment which will make 

 etfective those laws against trespass and firing, without which 

 the labor would be in vain. We can scarcely hope to enlist 

 the intelligent and painstaking care necessary to secure the 

 best results, nor that faith which is willing to incur so heavy a 

 present expenditure for the sake of remote gain. Time may 

 overcome all these difficulties, and a future generation may 

 adopt a scheme of forest-management as elaborate as that 

 which any part of the world affords. But for our country to- 

 day what can the advocates of forestry-reform offer and 

 recommend ? 



The answers to this question will doubtless differ for differ- 

 ent parts of the United States. Speaking for the eastern states 

 only, and more particularly for Pennsylvania, it is plain to 

 me that very considerable areas are unfit for profitable culti- 

 vation or even for grazing, and that their most natural and 

 profitable use is as forests. How can these forests be main- 

 tained ? In the majority of cases there is a natural reforesting 

 going on through the seeding or sprouting of old trees. While 

 this seems for a time to be ineffective, and the young growth 

 is smothered by weeds and bushes, it commonly gains the 

 mastery in a few years, and, if it meets with no further check, 

 occupies the ground and makes the well known "second 

 growth." In some parts of the country this second growth 

 has become a small but valuable factor in maintaining forest- 

 conditions. In all it is capable of becoming a larger and much 

 more important one. Indeed, in it we have the hope for the 

 forestry of the near future, and toward its production and con- 

 servation we should bend our energies. That the second 

 growth is not of the same kinds of trees nor so valuable as 

 the first, are statements only partly true and subject to much 

 exception. Acting upon Nature's method of forest-restoration, 

 that process may be supplemented, and even replaced in some 

 cases by artificial seeding. Some experimental work of this kind 

 looks promising now, but it is too early to speak definitely of 

 either the cost or result of it. It may be argued that, excepting 

 the expense incurred, the same difficulties inhere in this 



method of reforesting as in any other. This is true, and it 

 remains to be seen to what extent these difficulties may be 

 obviated. The damage to young woodlands by fire is cer- 

 tainly very great, and is commonly underestimated ; the 

 damage from trespass in various forms is no inconsiderable 

 item. Laws, often very stringent ones, have been enacted for 

 the protection of woodlands, but they are practically of no 

 avail in so far as fire is concerned, since punishment under 

 them is of rare occurrence. In the eyes of people generally 

 forest-property has an insignificant value unless it has reached 

 maturity and can be immediately turned into money. If it is 

 isolated or too young to be of immediate use it is looked upon 

 as of little account. Unfortunately the owners themselves are 

 generally too indifferent to give sufficient care to their prop- 

 erty. Either because of lack of knowledge and of faith in the 

 productive value of such lands, they make little effort for self- 

 protection, and through their indifference and the lack of suit- 

 able policing, the natural forest-lands are too often sparsely 

 covered, the trees grow old before their time, and are useful 

 only as a commentary on our shortsightedness. Thedangerand 

 the damage to the community from this unfortunate state of 

 affairs are well known, and it remains to inquire if anythingcan 

 be done to remedy this unhappy condition. 



Two plans occur to me as worthy of trial, one by the owner 

 and the other by the community. 



When it is desired to protect the fish ina stream or the fruit 

 in an orchard the owner posts a conspicuous notice to forbid 

 trespassing. Let him do the same on his forest-property. 

 Some kinds of trespass, such as the pasturing of cattle in open 

 and mountain woodlands, can be easily controlled; some, such 

 as hunting, berry-picking and the like, not so easily; but the 

 moral effect will be the same in all, and it will make promi- 

 nent the fact that the owner has some care for and interest in 

 his own. Such notices if prepared in large quantity could be 

 made cheap and durable, and placed where they would com- 

 mand attention. Can our forestry associations, agricultural 

 and other organizations render any more effective service for 

 the cause than to agitate this matter, and urge ourfarmers and 

 land owners to undertakeit; orevento prepare and furnish such 

 notices at a nominal price to all who will agree to use them ? 

 Much that is technically trespassing is not injurious, but this 

 distinction could be sately left to the owner, as are many other 

 matters. What is needed is a public sentiment which shall 

 look upon forest-property, in any state and condition, as in no 

 respect different from any other kind of property, and which 

 shall secure for it the same immunity from injury. If nothing 

 is done such a sentiment may come at last, but it will come 

 very slowly. By some such means as has been suggested 

 may we not hasten it? 



Undoubtedly the prevention of forest-fires is of prime im- 

 portance, and our chief effort should be toward that end; but 

 when fires are kindled, as they will be under the most careful 

 supervision, how can we control and suppress them? 



The same apathetic condition of both the owner and the 

 community is to be faced here as in the case of trespass. The 

 fire is left to burn until it has passed beyond control, and it stops 

 only when everything imiammable within its reach has been 

 consumed. Disgraceful examples of the truth of these state- 

 ments are so common that they form a staple part of our 

 daily news. To have an adequate sense of the injury done by 

 these conflagrations one must have a knowledge of the indi- 

 rect as well as the direct value of forests, and must bear in 

 mind also the relatively long time required to produce a 

 forest-growth. Were proper attention given to the matter we 

 should be so keenly alive to the value of forests that fire or 

 any other agency which threatened to destroy them would be 

 as quickly and vigorously combated as if some monumental 

 building were exposed to destruction. 



Forest-guards are charged with this duty of protection in 

 other countries and we have no officers corresponding to 

 them. But why may we not add to the duties of some exist- 

 ing township officers, say the supervisors or constables, the 

 oversight and control of all fires, accidental or other, on 

 farming and forest-land? There would then be some respon- 

 sible head for each district, who would have power to sum- 

 mon help, to give or refuse permits for burning clearings and 

 the like, and who should receive reasonable compensation 

 for these special duties. An innovation like this, although so 

 small and at the same time so well warranted, might stillmeet 

 objection, it is true, but the same difficulty would probably ap- 

 pear if any other plan were devised. 



The forestry question, from every point of view, is sub- 

 ject to the same economic laws as any other, and its advocates 

 should be able to point out practicable methods for its solu- 

 tion. 



