OCR Text |
Show MXED6EC0ND GROW NATURAL REFORE$TATON Tho region In Ohio under consldora-:lon consldora-:lon constitutes a bolt through what was at ono tlmo prooably tho finest hnrdWood forest In the United States. Horo grow, In a high degree, of perfection, per-fection, whtto and red oak, walnut, hickory, maplo, elm, beech, locust, sycamore, wild cherry, cottonwood, poplar, Kentucky coffco treo and chestnut, chest-nut, not to mention sovornl less valu-nblo valu-nblo kinds ot trees. Tho quality of this timber was tho very finest throughout the ontlro bolt. As in ovory tlmbor country, tho first work of tho ploneors In this region was to clear sufficient land In the forest to rnlso tho necessnry crops. Much of tho flnost timber was "deadpnnd," or girdled, and when, after two or throo seasons It had dried sufficiently, It wbb felled In great heaps and burned. Only tho stralghtcst most perfect sticks of walnut and oak wero used In building tho log houses nnd barns. Tho sicrllng quality of this tlmbor Is manifest mani-fest In tho romarkably well prosorved log structures still standing In considerable consid-erable numbers throughout tho region. The roofs ot thoso buildings wero nindo of clapboards, rived with frow and beetle bee-tle from only tho finest sticks of oak, and It was not uncommon for such a roof last for 40 years or moro During tho first half of tho last century cen-tury there was a lnrgo domand for tan-bark tan-bark to supply tho needs ot tho growing grow-ing leather Industries of Cincinnati and tho neighboring towns. To meet this domand,' tho oak timber was ruthlessly ruth-lessly slaughtered over nn nrea ot 75 to 100 miles radius. Tho flno logs, then uscloss, wero piled together and burned. Theso old-tlmo log-rollings, with tholr nttondnnt barbecues, woro tho festival occasions of tho frontier communities. To tho early Bottlers theso forests constituted tho arch enomy, to bo driven driv-en back nnd destroyed by ax nnd flro. Llttlo did theso men think of tho valuo of the forests. To them It meant only a fight for llfo and success ngnlnet tho farces and conditions of naturo. Unfortunntoly, this Instinct for tlmbor destruction, born of necessity among tho pioneers, has dovoloped among their descendants into a blind, unreasoning un-reasoning mania. Ono prominent landowner land-owner and stockmnn of Drako county recently expressed tho view that "tho country would bo bettor off without a tlmbor treo standing In It!" This Is no doubt an oxtremo case, but thoro U cortalnly very llttlo sentiment In tho region In favor of forest preservation preserva-tion or rcnowal. Tho Inovltnblo result of such an attltudo on tho part of tho pcoplo Is bolng ronchod at n rapid rate. Over most of tho region tho first-class tlmbor disappeared sovernl years ago, and tho second and third class supply Is rapidly following. Immense damago to tho tlmbor of this region has resulted from too closo pasture of tho woodlands. Tho writer had an opportunity to keep undor observation ob-servation for several years a tract of flno oak tlmbor in which woro kept lnrge numbers of hogs. Tho soil wns constantly overturned by tho hogs, and many of tho smaller roots of tho trees wero exposed and destroyed. After a few years tho trees began to dlo at tho tops, and tho owner was obliged to sell tho tlmbor for only a fraction of what it would havo been worth nt tho present pres-ent time If It had boon more carofully preserved. Closo pasturing by cattlo and sheep tins prnvod equally destructive destruc-tive In many cases. While tho general relation of ell-mato ell-mato to forests Is yot n tnootod question, ques-tion, it seems fairly woll established that, In tho region undor consideration, local "blizzards" nro moro frequent and moro Buvoro, while tho summer winds aro moro often dry than thoy woro n generation ago. Spring floods nud Biimmor droughts, formerly quite unknown, un-known, nro growing more common. Many of the hills, denuded of their forests for-ests and later of tholr soil, nro- now quite barren, Throughout tho region the growing of fruit orchards is becoming becom-ing constantly more difficult. This is, no doubt, duo, in part at least, to tho Increased exposure of tho troos to an evor moro fickle cllmato, ns woll ns to tho moro persistent nttneks of treo-Infesting treo-Infesting Insects, which nro doprlved at onco ot tholr natural cncmlos. For ns a conscquonco of tho destruction of tho forests tho Insectivorous birds havo been greatly reduced In numbers. num-bers. The southern four countlos in this rango havo long been noted for tholt splendid natural water supply. Along ovory stream valley tho ground-water outcrops at frequent Intervals from strata of coarso sand and gravel overlying over-lying tho limestone. Many of these springs for a hundred years novor known to fall, havo, since lliu lemovnl ot tho back-lying forest, becomo but "wet-weather springs," absolutely dry In late summer. Over largo parts ot this area tho ground-water lovel has fallon sovcral feot in tho Inst 20 years, so that wells havo had to bo dug or drilled to a greater depth to lnsuro a constant water supply. At tho samo tlmo tho problem of drainago is growing grow-ing moro difficult. Smnll creeks nnd open ditches, formerly woll filled with water tho yoar around, now run almost dry during a good part of tho suramor, nnd becomo choked with a rank growth of weeds which must bo removed, re-moved, olso tho stream will bo conv plctely filled with bIU nt tho next flood season. As stated before, howovor, thore is but llttlo if any interest shown by the people in tho matter of treo planting It is truo that shade-trees aro quite commonly planted along tho streets of towns and villages, and in public grounds gonerally, but this practice has not yet oxtended to tho public highway, or oven, to any oxtont, to the rural school-grounds. Most of tho countlos roport a growing tntcrost Ir Arbor day among tho schoolB, but thai Interest seems for tho most part to be only short-lived nnd Ineffective. The troes most commonly planted for shade and ornamont nro soft maplo, American elm, and Carolina poplar. Fortunately most of tho region has gotten over the crazo for tho unsightly Catalpa blgno-nloldes. blgno-nloldes. Bvorgroons aro but little known, excopt for comotery nnd lawn decoration. Junlperus communis growr native to somo oxtont ns an inslgnlfl cant shrub. No doubt tho moro usoful oaks nnd walnuts would bo moro generally gen-erally plantod If tho pcoplo know how to handlo theso less tolerant trees sue cessfully. In no region Is thoro moro urgen need ot popular education in matter pertaining to forestry and tlmbm sup ply. For gonorntlons theso people havo boon lcnrnlng nnd prnctlolng the art of forest destruction. Doforo thoy can bo oxpectcd to show an active in torest in tho preservation and renown; of forests, thoro must bo crcntcd ir tholr minds n totally now concoptlor of tho wholo problem. Very fow o; tho land ownors glvo any attention tc prosorvlng and making tho most oi tho farm wood-lot. No precautions an takon to prolong tho usofulnoss o fenco posts and tlmbor. From shooi necessity, substitutes for wood Ir houso construction aro being Intro duced. Ilrlck, stono and concrete, blocks nro slowly coming Into uso foi this purpose. Fences, until roccntl) built of rails, are now moro commonly mado of wire. Yot, tho shortage ol tlmbor and tho consequent Inconvon ionco aro growing moro apparent ovory year. a. n, PLOWMAN, Department of Botany, Denver College, |