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IIISTOUY 01' FOKKSTKY ITSIMl'OKT-
ANCK-XKIJIIASKA'S DUTY
TO HKUSKL.F.
The antiquity of the nxe and the cus
tom of destroying forests are established
in the Ixxvi. Psalm , the 5th verso thereof
declaring , "A man was famous accord
ing as he had lifted up axes upon the
thick trees. " But that was in a ruder
age than this and before the intellectual
developments of the race comprehended
its duty to posterity. The orient all
the holy land whore civilization passed
its infancy , wiis denuded of its forests
b } ' succeeding generations who "lifted
tip axes upon the thick trees" and gave
no heed to those who should follow in
the endless procession of existence.
And thus the } * who "lifted up axes upon
the thick trees" in those far-off times ,
and planted no forests in the place of
those they destroyed , established the
desolation , infertility , and dreary wastes
which make the land , that then flowed
with milk and honey , an inhospitable
desert. Modern nations , however , have
begun to learn the lesson taught by
those ancient axemen. And the conservation
vation of forests began in Switzerland
as early as 1314 in the canton of Zurich ,
when foresters were forbidden to "fell ,
raft or sell wood from the Sihiwald. "
Other cantons issued similar decrees ,
until March 24 , 1876 , when the necessity
for action by the federal government be
came so obvious that it took charge of
all the forests of all the cantons of the
republic , which covered the mountains.
The forestry legislation of Switzerland
is better suited to our own than that of
any other European country. It can be
emulated in the United States with
more facility than can that of France ,
Germany , or Austria. In this article it
is not desirable to give details of Swiss
legislation for the conservation of for
ests , and for the encouragement of ar
boriculture , but merely to call attention
to the fact that it is perhaps the best
from which to model the legislation
which Americans can not too speedily
enact for their republic. Mr. Secretary
Bayard has , very recently , caused to bo
published by the state department a
volume of 820 pages on "Forestry in
Europe , " which is made up from the re
ports of American consuls. It is com
prehensive , instructive , of inestimable
value , and can easily bo obtained , no
doubt , by application to senators and
members of congress. It ought to be in
every library in the Northwest.
The United States consumes every day
twenty-five thousand acres of timber.
Each night wo retire with twenty-five
thousand acres less of forests than the
sun gilded with its morning gold.
Our ancestors lauded in 1020 , axe in
hand , and v/ere indeed famous , as they
"lifted up axes upon thick trees" and
began the denudation of the timber
lands of the continent. But they planted
no forests. During the last thirty years ,
however , the importance of silviculture
has begun to attract attention and to
compel respect. The vast plains stretch
ing hi treelessness from the Missouri
river to the foothills of the Rocky moun
tains have with unite persuasiveness
pleaded for the orchards and groves
which can alone embellish and render at
tractive the homes of civilization. And
the pioneers of Nebraska have been the
first and foremost forest planters of all
Americans in responding affirmatively
to the demands oftheir environments.
No other state in the Union has planted so
inanj- trees for each of its inhabitants as
Nebraska. Within this commonwealth
there are now growing nearly seven
hundred thousand acres of orchards and
forests. Each year the anniversary of
Arbor Day is observed with more and
more well-directed zeal , and each year
its beneficent results are more and more
practical and beautiful.
But the beginning is only fairly inaug
urated , and no man has prescience
enough to estimate the full results to
climate , to seasons , to the people , which
the forests now planted and to be planted
during the next twenty years in this
state shall develop. There must , however -
over , be something practical instituted
by the state by legislation in regard to
the forestation of the prairies. The
question for the thoughtful citizen , for
the man who considers posterity , to
gether with the thought that today's
occupiers of the soil determine , in a
large degree , the physical surroundings
which shall engirt posterity , is :
What Shall the State Do ?
This is not a paternal government.
The business of the state is to protect
life , liberty , and property , nothing more.
The state has no money except that
taken from the people by taxation. Biit
Nebraska has two million seven hund
red and eighty-six thousand five hund
red and twenty-seven acres of land
in her own right (2,780,527) ( ) or did
have on December 1 , 1880 , as shown by
the annexed table taken from the report
for that year of the state land commis
sioner :
Those lauds should never bo sold , but
they should be leased and so leased as to
compel , under the supervision of the
state authorities , the planting to forests
by those leasing them of 25 per cent of
all of thorn. Thus the state of Nebraska
can provide without the direct outlay of
money for at least 500,000 acres of for
ests , the income from which goiug to
the school fund will bo sufficient during
the next ceutiiry to provide free school
ing for thousands of children. Besides
that which , it may bo said , will bo furn
ished otherwise those five hundred
thousand acres of woodland will be just
so many never-failing preventives of ex
cessive floods and disastrous drouths.
Every forest is in its depth of leaf-mould
a store of springs a laboratory whence
clouds are exhaled and showers sent up
to be redistributed on the earth. Every
forest holds back in its leaf-mould the
torrents which otherwise pour in de
structive floods across treeless places
into swelling streams which carry deso
lation and death all along their valleys.
Now , before the laud is sold , before it is
too late , Nebraska has it in her power to
inaugurate upon her own lauds , her
school lands , a practical system of for
estry whose blessings shall descend in
showers upon the remotest generations
of those who are to follow us in that
short quick march from the cradle to
the grave , which we call life.
Now Nebraska can lead in legislation
which shall convert parts of her school
lands into state forests , and when this
state takes that step she will bo followed
in grand procession by all the prairie
states of the Northwest. Let us begin.
Let the forestry department of our uni
versity discuss the matter and fornmlate
the law for the next legislature.
J. STERLING MORTON ,
Arbor Lodge , August 19 , 1887.
