392 



RECREATION. 



loosening of the last grasp which Spain had 

 on the New World. 



Cuba has an excellent climate, a fertile 

 soil and limitless possibilities. It is quaint 

 and picturesque. It is full of that intensity 

 which characterizes all tropical regions. 

 When the sun shines it shines with tropi- 

 cal fierceness; when it rains it pours, and 

 when the flowers bloom they burst forth 

 into a gorgeousness of color. 



A tropical forest is not so beautiful as 

 a Northern forest. There is not that mild 

 and soft light which characterizes a beech 

 forest. The leaves of the trees are often 

 large and leathery. There is not such 

 marked periodicity of leaf fall and there is 

 a lack of those beautiful simultaneous 

 changes in color which occur in Northern 

 woods. The forest is uneven and there is 

 a stronger struggle between the species of 

 the forest for light and space. Cuba is in 

 need of people. Acres of fertile soil are 

 idle. It needs orchards, forests and gar- 

 dens. It needs modern implements and 

 energetic people. It will respond to the 

 slightest touch and is capable of yielding 

 an immense quantity of valuable material. 



WOOD PULP AND FORESTRY. 



The serious attention of the lumber 

 trade is being directed to the rapid deple- 

 tion of the American forests, and the ap- 

 plication of scientific forestry in place of 

 the present wasteful and destructive meth- 

 ods is being inculcated by the forestry 

 section of the Department of Agriculture. 

 Some indication of the immense consump- 

 tion of timber in the manufacture of news 

 paper in this country is given in an ex- 

 cerpt from an exchange which claims that 

 while it is a well-known fact that the news- 

 papers of the world are using up the for- 

 ests for their supply of paper, there are 

 probably few people who will not be 

 startled at the announcement made by one 

 of the chief New York papers that its Sun- 

 day Easter number used all the wood of 

 40 acres of virgin forest. This journal 

 claims to use in its morning and evening 

 editions some 11 acres of woodland, pro- 

 ducing about 7,000 feet to the acre. Some- 

 thing like 280,000 feet of timber was used 

 for the suprtly of reading matter to New 

 York by this one paper alone. 



Forestry, as has been pointed out by an 

 authority on the subject, has been too 

 generally regarded as an esthetic fad, and 

 its scientific application merely an agree- 

 able avocation of the wealthy. It is, 

 however, an importance to our natural well 

 being far beyond mere esthetic considera- 

 tions, powerful though these may be. It 

 means the utility of vast areas of non-agri- 

 cultural lands in every part of this coun- 

 try. By its application we are assured of 



the permanency of our lumber supply and 

 the stability of the lumber trade. 



The regulation and conservation of the 

 water Supply of our principal rivers is 

 largely dependent on the timbered lands, 

 and the favorable influence of tree culture 

 on climate has been well set forth by our 

 forestry experts. 



The application of scientific forestry, 

 however, owing to the slowness of the 

 growth of the trees, is not within the 

 means of any single person or organization 

 without the control of great wealth. The 

 work is for State or Federal governments, 

 unless the taxation on forest lands shall 

 be abolished or reduced to a minimum. 



One of the methods advocated for the 

 introduction of scientific forestry where the 

 destruction of the timber and non-agricul- 

 tural lands has been most marked, is the 

 establishing of national parks. An associa- 

 tion has been formed in Chicago to urge 

 the parking of a large area in Minnesota; 

 and in Asheville, North Carolina, the Ap- 

 palachian National Park Association has 

 been organized for the protection of the 

 magnificent forests of the Southern Appa- 

 lachian Mountains by placing them under 

 the regulation of the Government as a na- 

 tional park. 



These efforts are strictly in accord with 

 the teachings of the forestry section of the 

 Department of Agriculture for the support 

 of which the nation makes a liberal appro- 

 priation. That Congress will take suitable 

 measures to give to the country the parks 

 petitioned for, with the vast economic re- 

 forms which they represent, may reason- 

 ably be expected. — The Inland Printer. 



THINKING OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS? 



How would a subscription to Recrea- 

 tion strike you for each of 5, 10, or 20 of 

 your friends? 



For 8 yearly subscriptions to Recrea- 

 tion, I will give you a Davenport Brow- 

 nie rifle as premium. You can take 

 these subscriptions easily, among your 

 friends. Send them in. 



Why not send me 25 subscriptions and 

 earn a Syracuse double hammerless shot- 

 gun as premium? I have a few to offer 

 on that basis, and the opportunity is a 

 rare one. 



Five subscriptions to Recreation will 

 earn for you a Harrington & Richardson 

 revolver. Why be without one? 



I received the gold watch you sent me as 

 a premium and am well pleased with it. 



R. K. Hutchins, 

 Mountain Home, Mont. 



