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Show Forests Influence Our Market Basket l L i 11 - Wood Is Indispensable in "Metal Civilization." Washington. Articles ranging from telephone poles to clothespins are among the millions of objects made of wood which the present "metal civilization" civili-zation" finds indispensable. Even before be-fore the institution of the President's forestry camps, lumbering, measured by the number of persons engaged In it, was one of the largest Industries in the United States, according to a bulletin bul-letin from the National Geographic society. "Lumbering and forestry, as they are at present practiced, vary widely In their aims although the cutting of wood Is a factor In both," says the bulletin. "Lumbering is the term used for the cutting of timber for an immediate imme-diate gain, while forestry carries the conception of long-time planning for continuous income. If tTees are stripped carelessly from land. It Is frequently left open to alternate floods and droughts. Much of it becomes be-comes worthless for agriculture or recreation and can support little animal ani-mal life. Many National Forests. "When white men came to America, It is estimated that there were 1,064,-52S 1,064,-52S square miles of forest between the Atlantic ocean and the prairies. In what is now the West of the United States there were 220,062 square miles. This million and a quarter square miles of forests had been reduced to 733.554 square miles in 192S. Over half of this remainder had been selectively selec-tively cut over, leaving the smaller trees for future growth. Of the original orig-inal forests 126.S75 square miles were cut so ruthlessly that the land is now practically useless. "To discourage further devastation of the country by thoughtless lumbering lumber-ing methods, the government organized the forest service. The areas nnder the supervision of this service are the tree-covered public lands in the West which were not taken up by homesteaders, home-steaders, and forests purchased from private owners in the East. At present pres-ent there are national forests In 31 states. Plans have been made for camps for the unemployed in the national na-tional forests of all these states. In states having no national forests, similar sim-ilar camps will be established in state forests or on private land. "During the past quarter century, the government has emphasized the value of forests for the whole couutry. For the farmer and the 1930 census showed over 50 per cent of the population popu-lation living in rural areas there are two great problems that are affected by forestry practice. One is erosion, or the washing away of the valuable top soil ; the other Is the distribution of rain water. If there are no trees or cover crops to slow up the rain water as it runs down the slopes, erosion ero-sion is unavoidable. Thus water which should seep down to the valleys through a period of weeks, rushes In torrents down the stream beds, causing caus-ing floods in the valleys followed by long periods of drought. "Aside from the protection of farm lands and conservation of moisture, national forests bring the government a direct revenue in various ways. Full grown timber and cord wood are sold ; grazing lands are rented; water power concessions are leased ; drinking water is furnished large cities; and Irrigating Irrigat-ing systems are provided. These-projects These-projects have proved so remunerative that even with the expense of seeding new sections, and pruning, thinning, and clearing underbrush In the older growths, many of the national forests have been put on a self-supporting basis. From their Income some national na-tional forests contribute to the treasuries treas-uries of counties and states in which they are situated. Fire Prevention. "Perhaps the largest single expenditure expendi-ture for forestry is for fire prevention. The toll of life is not ordinarily great, deaths from forest fires rarely running over 50 persons a year; bnt the damage dam-age to forests and the dependent water wa-ter districts has been found to amount to millions of dollars. To avoid this loss lookouts are placed on high points of national forests and constant watch is kept for the telltale smoke. Forest rangers now frequently are successful in beating out fires before they have "passed the possibility of control. Public Pub-lic education has done much to limit the horror and waste of these fires; but one unavoidable cause, lightning, accounts for more than 25 per cent of the fires. "The forest service has been quick to see the recreational possibilities of the forests, and roads have been built, hiking clubs encouraged, lake shores cleared, trails broken, and camping grounds established, so that tourists, climbing enthusiasts, fishermen, and hunters may have an opportunity to-Indulge to-Indulge in their favorite avocations. Summer home sites have been leased in a number of the forests for those who wish to live a more settled life In the woods. Botanists and zoologists have keenly supported the forestry movement, so that rare plants and. animals might be preserved. "The forest service has taken with It roads, telephones, radio, and other instruments of civilization and has brought prospering occupations to formerly for-merly isolated spots, many of them of striking scenic beauty. It has given a new vision to many lumbermen, persuading per-suading them that ultimate good for the country can be achieved and great harm averted by substituting the ideal of forestry for that of lumbering." |