Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1883 — OUR FORESTS. [ARTICLE]

OUR FORESTS.

Annual Session of the American Forestry Congress at St. Paul. The annual meeting of the American'Forestry Congress was held in the Capitol building at St Paul, President George B. Loring in the chair. President Loring in his annual address treated of the state of forestry in the United States He stated that the dearingsin the old settled parts of the country were being filled up with trees so that in Ohio, Maine, New York, and other. States the acreage of forest is growing constantly greater. In the other States, where the subject of forestry is gaining, the same attention is also given. In the States where Arbor day has been established the number of trees planted increase year by year. The address treated of the decrease of pine timber, showing that the supply will be exhausted in the Northern States in a few years at the present rate of cut. So much depends in the near future upen the pine forests of the Gulf States for lumber. Much remained to be done for the care of forests, much timber being wasted by wanton burning and cutting. The public mind should be aroused to the importance of the subject The President indo sed the suggestions of the Land Commissioner in his re-port-for 1882, in which bespeaks of the difficulty of suppressing the unlawful cutting of timber, ana asks for some general ana comprehensive law regulating who may cut timber on the Government lands; fpr what purpose it may be cut; and providing a penalty for unlawfully destroying forests. He pointed out the effect of forests on rainfall, and closed by saying the United States, which had been so busily engaged in lumbering for the last forty years, should devote itself now to forestry. Resolutions were adapted in memory of Dr. J. A. Warder, and L R. Hodges, of St Paul, and Arthur Bryant, of Princeton, HL, deceased members. The following officers were elected: President, George B. Loring, of Massachusetts; Vice Presidents, H. G. Joly, Quebec; George L Becker, St. Paul; Recording Secretary, N. H. Eggleston, Washington; Corresponding Secretary, B. E. Fernon, Pennsylvania; Treasurer. Charles Mohe. Alabama; Executive Committee,B. G. Northup, Connecticut; Marion Higby, Ohio; J. G. Knapp, Florida; J. S. Hicks, New York; J. L Buad, lowa. A resolution was adoped asking the Commisssfoner of Agriculture to call, during the winter, a meeting in Washington of the representatives of all associations and institutions devoted to the into tests of forestry. E. Wright of Boston, moved a committee consider what elect damming the sources of the MBs sslppi river have on the fores.s of Northern Minnesota. The motion was carried. Mr. parson, of Topeka, Kan., read q letter on the profit of planting forest trees. He gave an example es a man investing <5,000 in 400, acres of trees, which in sixteen yean brought a profit of 800 per cant on the sale of trees alone.