8 Cbe Conservative.
IMPRESSIONS OF UTAH.
The Valley region which I have seen
Utah lake and Salt Lake City is a
beautiful oasis in the midst of a desert.
The handsome gardens , remarkable
avenues of trees , the orchards and farms ,
show great labor and skill and determin
ation among the people of this state in
making homes under great difliculticH.
Water is the motive power life ,
health , happiness , among men depends
upon the abundance of water. No ani
mal and no vegetation can exist without
water. It has not occurred to many
that water , as well , depends upon vege
tation , yet such is the case.
Trees in forests attract moisture and
cause precipitation.
Removal of forests has caused many
densely populated countries to become
arid , changed agricultural regions into
pastoral and then to deserts.
The planting of forests has greatly
increased the rainfall of other regions.
Upon the mountains trees hold the snow ,
and by shading prevent too rapid
melting and thus extend the season of
water flow for irrigation. The roots of
trees and the deposits of leaves , together
with shade , give to the soil the power
to retain water , which gradually finds
its way by springs to the surface. A
barren mountain permits the melted
snow and the rain to flow away quickly ,
causing floods , when droughts soon suc
ceed.
The mines of Utah are dependent up
on timber. It is important that a suc
cession be insured ; this cannot bo unless
the young growths are protected. Every
pine tree has grown from a tiny seed.
And in future the forests must depend
upon what are now insignificant little
seedlings.
Your railways are borne upon wood
en ties , immense quantities of which
are required. Unless the forests are
protected your commerce will suffer.
Understand , forestry does not forbid
the use of timber , but does discourage
its waste its wanton destruction and
insists upon the protection of young
growths.
No tree less than twelve inches in
diameter should be cut.
One by one the larger trees are felled ,
for me uses of wood are very great. If
the young trees are not protected it will
be but a short time when barren moun
tains will shorten your water supply and
cause untold misery from such improv
idence.
Forest fires , it is conceded , cause the
greatest destruction of timbers. But
forest fires never were known to occur
spontaneously ; carelessness or crimin
ality has been the cause.
I cannot suggest any prevention of
forest fires until all the people of the
forest region shall have learned the value
of trees , and have a sense of the rights
of posterity and thus become careful ia
the use of matches , lighted cigars ,
leaving camp fires etc. Only a strong
government can patrol the forests and
protect them from the fires of careless
persons.
Spoliation.
The governor of a western state has
recently stated that "thefts of timber
cannot be prevented , that it is impossible
to convict timber thieves because the
communities are in sympathy with the
spoilers. "
All this is because the mass of people
do not appreciate the value of the tim
ber , and only measure it by the sawmill
price per thousand feet. Education to
the true value of forests will overcome
this in time. Who will undertake this ?
Insects are destructive to forests as
well as fruits and all crops of the farm.
Protection of the birds is the best and
cheapest remedy known for this. The
Black Hills has lost one-fourth if its pine ,
and there is danger of its entire destruc
tion by beetles. Had there been a
goodly number of woodpeckers in the
Hills this could not have occurred.
I consider the greatest enemy of the
forests next to fire is the herding of
large bands of sheep in the timber.
These animals , as well as goats , eat the
young , tender seedling trees , browse the
larger growth and prevent their attain
ing a size suitable for use. The hard
tramped ground with so many thousand
small feet prevent the growth of seed.
In the East when we want to clear a
field it is easily accomplished by turning
in a flock of sheep. They make quick
work of all sprouts.
I do not oppose the herding of sheep
upon the prairies and plains , and am
alive to the importance of the wool in
dustry. It should be carefully guarded
and encouraged , but not at the expense
of all our forests.
Vast numbers of cattle and horses
would graze upon the mountains and
find ample feed , but not after sheep
have cleared the land , as they do of
every vestige of green , and leave the
ground poisoned for other stock , swim
the water courses , pollute the streams.
It is time to consider the cost and also
the extremely small number of persons
benefited by so great a loss to all beside.
Spain is an example of a country
ruined by clearing the forests and then
pasturing large herds of goats , which
have prevented reafforestation.
The present drought should make the
time opportune for the careful considera
tion of this subject.
JOHN P. BROWN.
Secretary Indiana Forestry Association.
OUK TRADE ABROAD.
The chief of the treasury bureau of
statistics has just promulgated his report
on the foreign commerce of the United
States for the year ending June 80 , 1900 ,
and makes an exhibit which must bring
some of the great commercial powers to
reflection. It shows that the commerce
of the United States for the year was
more than $2,000,000,000 , the imports of
merchandise being $849,714,670 , and the
exports being $1,894,186,871.
As to imports , it is gratifying to note
that the class designated as "manufac
turers'materials , " including only arti
cles in a crude condition , is by far the
largest , being in 1900 $302,264,106
against $222,657,774 in 1899 , or nearly
40 per cent , greater than in any preced
ing year , while the class which includes
articles wholly or partially manufac
tured for rise in manufacturing amount
ed to $88,488,549 against $98,758,908 in
1898 , and considerably more than $100-
000,000 in 1891. So it is seen that oven
in the imports account there is abund
ant evidence of the increase in our man
ufacturing business.
IncroiiHO in Kxportn.
But this is a small item as compared
with the exports of manufactured arti
cles , These amounted to $482,284,866 in
1900 , against $889,675,558 in any preceding -
'
ceding year. The increase is $92,608-
808 against an increase of $50,000,000 in
any year preceding.
To put it in another way , our manu
factures form Sl } per cent of the total
exportations in 1900 against 28.18 per
cent in 1899. The total exports for 1900
were four times as great as in 1860 ,
while those of manufactures alone were
ten times as large as in 1860. It is
shown that while the total exports for
1900 were but 50 per cent in excess of
1891 , the exports of manufactured arti
cles were 150 per cent in excess of that
year.
It is interesting and instructive also
to note that this large increase in our
export trade is due to the fact that we
have found new markets for our wares.
The report shows that exports to the
continent of Europe increased only 10
per cent in 1900 over 1899 , and but 50
per cent over 1890 , while to Asia the in
crease was 48 per cent over 1899. This
is most significant as showing the direc
tion in which our trade is expanding.
We are finding markets in territory
which has not hitherto been occupied
by us.
A Gold 1'rortuctioii.
It is also a notable fact that the gold
mined in the United States during the
year ended December 81,1899 , amounted
to $72,500,000 , exceeding the production
of any previous year , and for the first
time surpassing the record established
in 1858 , when the mines of California
produced $65,000,000 worth of gold. The
annual average gold product of the
United States is now double that of a
decade earlier.
These exhibits as to our export trade
and our production of gold have a most
important hearing on the present polit
ical status and of themselves differenti
ate the campaign of 1900 from that of