Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters), no. 35 (1923) (20314241699)

Title: Bulletin (Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters), no. 35
Identifier: bulletinpennsylv35penn (find matches)
Year: 1923 (1920s)
Authors: Pennsylvania. Dept. of Forests and Waters
Subjects: Forests and forestry
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa. : The Department
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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P M s -^ < O WO K ^ H Q Ui ?£ < Pi as H U CO w u ci « w ^ u ;h H GO o u S H LESSON THREE WHAT THE FOREST DOES The more we know about the forest and what it does for our wel- fare, the more we appreciate its presence and the more we will do to protect and perpetuate it. The forest is a soil saver. Every acre of land should be kept pro- ductive. The forest utilizes soil too poor to produce food crops. There are at least thirteen million acres of such land in Pennsylvania. A forest increases the value of bare soil by the production of a crop with very little labor, and thus bears its just share of taxation, tending by so much to reduce the taxes on farm lands. A forest increases the fertility of the soil on which it grows and prepares it for agricultural use when needed for that purpose. A forest prevents erosion of the soil. The leaf litter covers the surface of the soil and makes it difficult for rains to carry away the small particles of soil. Likewise the roots bind the earth so that even though the surface soil might be disturbed to some extent, the cutting out of the soil by flowing water is prevented by tlie mass of roots. The forest is a renewable natural resource. By this is meant that the forest is a crop of the soil and that one crop of trees after another may be raised on the same area, just as successive crops of corn are raised, except that the forest crop requires more time from seed to harvest. A forest may also be a continuous crop, if it contains trees of all ages from seedlings to trees ready to be used. Only the scattered usable trees are harvested and their space is immediately taken by new seedlings. The soil is never completely bare. The forest trees use the productive powers of Nature, sun, wind, rain, and soil, and transform them into wood. These forces of Nature are always available and as long as there are tree leaves present to use them the wood crop will be produced. When tree leaves are not present, these forces go to waste. The forest insures continued prosperity. The parts of trees, leaves, branches, bark, stem, roots, sap, and fruit enter into the necessities, comforts, and luxuries of each person's everyday life. To supply these products capital and labor must be employed. There must be machinery, transportation, exchange, and research. The development of a natural resource usually means the establishment of a local popu- lation, wages, demand for local food products, and general increase in business and prosperity of the community. The forest provides homes for insectiverous birds which hold insect hordes in check. This is a direct benefit to the agricultural interests of a neighborhood. The forest is a water conserver. A forest increases the relative humidity of the atmosphere nearby, benefiting agricultural and horti- cultural crops. It raises the water table of the soil in hill countries to the ad- vantage of food crops nearby. It reduces evaporation of moisture from crops and soil to the lee- ward side thus saving food crops. It tends to induce rains during the growing seasons, and tends to reduce frost damage to crops. 9 ¥

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