Show forests influence owr our market basket wood Is indispensable in metal civilization washington articles articles Artl cles ranging from telephone poles to clothespins clothe spins are among the millions of objects made of wood which the present metal civilization finds indispensable even before the institution of the presidents 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 from the national geographic society lumbering and forestry as they are at present practiced vary widely in their alms alma although the cutting ot of wood is a factor in both 11 says the bulletin lumbering Is the term used for the cutting of timber for an immediate gain while forestry carries the conception of longtime long iong time planning for continuous income if trees eire aro stripped carelessly from land it Is frequently left open to alternate floods and droughts much of it becomes worthless for agriculture or recreation and can support little animal life many national forests when white men came to america Amert ca it Is estimated that there were square miles of forest between the atlantic ocean and the prairies in what Is now the west of the united states there were square miles this million and a qu quarter arter square ralles miles of forests had been reduced to s square quare mil miles e s in 1028 over halt half of this remainder had been selectively cut over leaving the smaller trees for future growth of the original forests fores ts square miles were cut so ruthlessly that the land Is now practically useless to discourage further devastation of the country by thoughtless ss lumbering methods the government organized the forest service the areas under the supervision of this service a are F re the tree covered public lands in the west which were not taken up by homesteaders ste aders and forests purchased from private owners in the east at present there are national forests in 31 states plans have been made for camps for the unemployed in the national forests of all these states in states having no national forests similar camps will be established in state forests or on private land during the past quarter ter century the government has emphasized the value of forests for the whole country for the farmer and the 1030 1930 census showed over 50 per cent of the population 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 Is unavoidable thus water which should seep down to the valleys through a period of weeks rushes in torrents down the stream beds causing 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 systems are provided 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 forests contribute to the treasuries of counties find and states in which they are situated fire prevention perhaps the largest single expenditure 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 but the damage to forests and the dependent water 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 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 biking 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 in their favorite avocations summer home sites have been leased in a number of the forests ford 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 isolated spots many of them of striking scenic beauty it has given a new vision to many lumbermen persuading them that ultimate good for the country can be achieved and great harm averted by substituting the ideal of forestry for that of lumbering |