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This thread is a spawn off the "If I may..." thread that was recently locked. I wanted to take the opportunity to answer Judith when she wrote in post #57
I admitted on that thread that I had misread a secondary source that was actually saying that the large influx of people converging on California "outstripped the supplies of building materials available locally..." it did not say that it caused a shortage of trees. However, further reading did show that there were shortages of certain species that were necessary for the economic well-being of California (and the rest of the nation), like ship-building and carriage-building, both which apparently required long straight hardwoods. But if people want to know about California they can return to the thread, If I may...
But what I wanted to address is her claim that "no one worried about conservation then." While the majority of people continued to cause destruction to the woods, there was a growing concern about the 'wasteful destruction of the forests,' and 'how important it is that efforts should be made, by the land owners of this generation, to check the waste which is going on, and to provide supplies for the wants of the generations to come.'
George Barrell Emerson noted in his paper (published to an order of the Legislature, by the Commissioners on the Zoological and Botanical Survey of the State [Massachusetts], 1847) that trees help to prevent erosion, to improve the soil with their roots and their leaves, they equalize the temperature and soften the climate protecting from the extremes of cold and heat, dryness and humidity, they protect from the violence of winds, add beauty to the country, provide shade for both humans and animals, and provide nuts and more importantly maple sugar (okay, so the author's from Massachusetts.) :wink_smil
In 1858 the Scientific American ran an article entitled, "Can There be a Great Scarcity of Timber in the United States?" The author wrote in part 1:
In part 3 he writes:
I think it's remarkable how much they did notice. For example, as I said above trees help to equalize the temperature and soften the climate protecting from the extremes of cold and heat, dryness and humidity. Here is Wilson Flagg, who wrote a book Studies in the field and Forest, 1857. He has a section entitled January.
**
I've been snowed under with all the references over the last few days and came up with about a 6 page article of sources. I finally decided to just reply and let people ask questions if they so desired. But reading primary sources it's amazing that we do still have any woodlands left. It isn't just building houses and ships, but the fuel (both wood and charcoal), the tearing down of forests for the rails to run through, the rail ties, the iron furnaces, car building, furniture....
How does all this tie in to reenacting? Well, at Into the Wilderness, Hank portrayed Sewell Lovejoy who came from a Maine timber family. Sewell was a riverman who sent the logs downriver. Interestingly enough, his family relocated to Michigan around the time of the war. Much of what I've been reading over the last few days supports that Maine basically ran out of whatever profitable timber the lumber-folks needed and those who wanted to continue in pine logging moved to the new forests of Michigan.
Anyway, I could go on and on, so I'll quit here. :D
Linda
No shortage of trees within early California, and no one worried about conservation then.
But what I wanted to address is her claim that "no one worried about conservation then." While the majority of people continued to cause destruction to the woods, there was a growing concern about the 'wasteful destruction of the forests,' and 'how important it is that efforts should be made, by the land owners of this generation, to check the waste which is going on, and to provide supplies for the wants of the generations to come.'
George Barrell Emerson noted in his paper (published to an order of the Legislature, by the Commissioners on the Zoological and Botanical Survey of the State [Massachusetts], 1847) that trees help to prevent erosion, to improve the soil with their roots and their leaves, they equalize the temperature and soften the climate protecting from the extremes of cold and heat, dryness and humidity, they protect from the violence of winds, add beauty to the country, provide shade for both humans and animals, and provide nuts and more importantly maple sugar (okay, so the author's from Massachusetts.) :wink_smil
In 1858 the Scientific American ran an article entitled, "Can There be a Great Scarcity of Timber in the United States?" The author wrote in part 1:
Talking as a citizen, a deep interest in the welfare of the present and future inhabitants of this great commonwealth, I embrace with much pleasure the opportunity of bringing before the readers of your valuable paper, the views of a professional German forester -- Charles Bertholdi -- on a most important branch of national economy, namely the culture of trees. Mr. B. recently traveled through the United States, and he treats the subject without any prejudice. He believes that if the present reckless destruction of timber is continued for a number of years longer, the United States will have to bear the disastrous consequences of that destruction.
We thus understand why there is already a scarcity of timber in some parts of the Union.** How is it to be remedied?** Our author suggests a somewhat similar plan in regard to timber as a Member of Congress (Mr. Morrel) lately suggested in regard to agriculture.** But the growth of timber being very slow, he thinks that laws should be enacted in each State to encourage the cultivation of trees particularly on ground which is not adapted for agricultural purposes. He thinks that in States where there are swamps the people or their representatives should undertake the draining of them, and plant trees thereon, and these to be property of States, as canals were built, and are managed in our day.** The federal government, too, he believes, ought to take such measures to have the forests or government lands systematically maintained, and they should employ for this purpose able officers, and make from the sale of wood a regular annual revenue.
**
One of the noted peculiarities of this month when our fathers were living, was the great thaw.** In ancient days, when the winter regularly commenced with December and ended with February, this annual thaw seldom failed to visit our climate in the month of January.** Since the clearing of the forests, the character of the seasons is greatly altered.** The mean annual temperature remains the same; but winter has encroached upon the green boundaries of spring, and often ventures to sprinkle his frosts upon the flowery landscape of June.** He has usurped dominion over about five months of the year, during which the cold, lasting but a few days at a time, is constantly alternating with longer spells of mild and thawing weather.** Hence there is no month of winter when we may not be visited by a thaw; and the ices of December may be broken up at Christmas, not to be renewed until March.
How does all this tie in to reenacting? Well, at Into the Wilderness, Hank portrayed Sewell Lovejoy who came from a Maine timber family. Sewell was a riverman who sent the logs downriver. Interestingly enough, his family relocated to Michigan around the time of the war. Much of what I've been reading over the last few days supports that Maine basically ran out of whatever profitable timber the lumber-folks needed and those who wanted to continue in pine logging moved to the new forests of Michigan.
Anyway, I could go on and on, so I'll quit here. :D
Linda