Wanted : A Tree Sense
IN olden days the necessity of trees was more obvious than it is to-day. Oaks were in demand to provide the wooden walls of old England, and even before those times a kind of Income Tax was assessed by the pannage provided from the acorns of the oak.
When oak was in demand for the Navy it was regarded as the patriotic thing to grow trees as a national defence, and retired admirals would take their country walks with pockets full of acorns which they proudly planted in the hedgerows of the countryside in the hope that they would grow into trees worthy of providing bulwarks of defence.
As steel replaced oak, the national need became less apparent and our merchant ships proceeded overseas to tap virgin forests and brought back supplies of timber for all purposes properly seasoned and cut to the required dimensions. From that time onwards hedgerow timber apparently ceased to be profitable and what little planting was done in England was chiefly to improve the sli oting and provide further for the amenities of the county estates.
In the Great War, when ships were urgently wanted to import foodstuffs, we were driven back upon our on woodlands, which were often ruthlessly sacrificed to meet the pressing need of timber for war purposes and provide our mines with pitprops when other sources of supply were curtailed. The War has taught our sylviculturists that in future tree-planting must be done as a national insurance. Our shipping is too valuable to be sacrificed to bringing in bulky cargoes of timber when our very existence depends upon food which has to come from abroad. England at present imports something in the neighbourhood of 95 million pounds worth of timber pet annum from foreign countries, and so long as the supply can be maintained at reasonable prices it does not seem necessary for us to concern ourselves seriously with timber production in these isles. But the fact is that the world's supply of soft-woods is dwindling, and the few remaining virgin forests are becoming' more and rno inaccessible. The cost of timber is largely controlled b the cost of transport, and as the timber exploiters have t go further afield for supplieS prices will obviously soar. Again, timber is wanted as never before. For every substitute for wood such as steel for doors or office filing furniture about ten new uses are found for forest products. Few people realize the enormous toll made upon forests by the increasing use of cellulose for clothing, and pulp for paper.
I have just returned from America where I have been studying the forest situation. In conference with the government forestry officers at Washington I learnt some- thing of the colossal destruction of the forests which are being seriously overcut to supply pulp for the enormous editions of newspapers. One New York Sunday edition requires twenty-five acres of forest every week. In the 'United States six times as much timber is being cut as is grown each year. Seven-eighths of the virgin forests of America have been cut over. Per head of population America consumes 880 cubic feet a year compared with Europe's 30 cubic feet. This is the Age of Paper. Our present civilization is largely based on the use of paper and the relative quantity of paper used by different cowl: tries gives some idea of the degree of civilization attained. Although certain grades of paper are still made from other materials, wood is the cheapest and best for most pur- poses, and will provide the greatest volume on a given area at the lowest cost.
Already the United States of America is Canada's largest customer for timber, and before long both coun- tries may be driven back upon Europe for supplies. Already shipments of timber have started to arrive. The Toronto Globe reported, on August 19th, " Seventeen thousand cords of pulp wood from Russia passed up the St. Lawrence river on Saturday on board the steamer ' Barrie ' of the Canada Steamship Lines. The cargo was loaded at Archangel on the White Sea, brought to Quebec by the steamer ' Quercus,' and transhipped to the ' Barrie ' for its destination to the Hammer-Mill Paper Company at Erie, Pennsylvania." The obvious outcome will be that prices will be pushed up, and before long we shall begin to feel the pinch, for the U.S.A. can afford to outbid us in the timber markets of Europe. This being the case, it behoves us to look to our future supplies and prepare for eventualities.
In Great Britain we have millions of acres below the standard of agriculture which might be profitably planted with trees, thus providing labour for thousands of our unemployed and lasting benefit to the country. Generally speaking, the soil and situation are such that the wood increment obtained is as great as that in some of the best forests of Germany. The situation calls for concerted action on the part of both Government and private in- dividuals who are land-owners, and there should be a clear definition as to lands which might be made available for tree-planting.
We are not only dependent upon trees to supply us with timber for buildings and furniture, paper for journals and books, cellulose for clothing fabrics and a thousand and one other things in daily use, but trees affect climate and temperature. Forests have an equalizing effect on extremes of temperature. Records show that in wooded districts maximum temperatures are lower, and minimum temperatures higher than in adjoining deforested tracts.
Vast areas in the world to-day which formerly only held game have now been brought under agriculture, and still further tracts of forest have been cut down and sacrified to provide land for growing food. The rapid disappearance of the forests is now having an adverse effect upon agriculture with a consequent failure of crops. It is, therefore, coming to be thought that the man who Plants treta is rendering as great a service to his country as•the man who grows food, Apart from all the above reasons for which trees should be grown, there is the aesthetic contribution that they make to the world. What would England be without trees ? Picture in your mind your favourite forest retreat destroyed by fire or ruthless cutting and decide if it is worth saving. And do not let us forget that our native soil of which we are so proud and which has made us what we are is only the framework on which the mantle of trees is draped.
The Men of the Trees, a society of tree lovers, realizing the dependence of men upon trees, have as their aim the creation of a tree sense, and endeavour to encourage everyone to plant, protect, and love their native trees.
The construction of new arterial roads is providing fresh opportunities for tree-planting. The Road Beauti- fying Association, of which I am one of the directors, has made itself responsible for road beautification by tree planting. While it is important " to keep the character of the country by planting the trees which belong to the country," in certain districts fruit-bearing trees might be planted along the arterial roads. These would provide a wealth of blossom in the spring and then, in the autumn of the year, a crop of fruit which could be harvested by adjoining land-owners. When I first proposed to plant fruit trees on the Kingston by-pass I was told that this would be dangerous, and upon my asking the question why, the reply was " Boys picking the fruit fearing detection and running away would get run over by motor-cars."
There was also the more serious objection that these trees, if not properly cared for, would provide harbour for disease which might spread to adjoining orchards. However, I hope that both risks may be obviated and that we may see fruit trees planted along some of our arterial roads as they are by the waysides of Europe. Groups of trees might be planted at certain places which would grow to timber and provide an emergency supply in the event of a national crisis. In France a considerable revenue is reaped by Government from the plane trees grown on State roads. It will be noticed on the Kingston by-pass that Lombardy poplars have been planted on the cross roads. This has been done with the object of pro- viding a warning to motorists. The character of these trees differs conspicuously and shows up clearly in the landscape. It will be good, where possible, to plant silver birch on the bends so that their white stems may show up at night.
A tree sense is needed to-day as never before if we are to keep our country beautiful. " Man cannot live by bread alone." The spiritual side of human nature responds to the enchanting influence of sylvan beauties which abound in forest glades and shady dells.
" The kindest thing God ever made His hand of very healing laid Upon a fevered world, is shade ! "
RICHARD ST. BARGE BAKER.
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