Half Million Trees Planted to Replace Those Destroyed by Arabs

A VICTORY FOR PLOW AND SPADE OVER GUN AND ARSONIST’S TORCH IS BEING CELEBRATED HERE BY THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND.

DURING THE PLANTING SEASON SINCE LAST YEAR’S ARAB REVOLT THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND SUCCEEDED IN PLANTING TREES FAR MORE RAPIDLY THAN MARAUDERS HAD BEEN ABLE TO DESTROY THEM. THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE RACE OF PLANTING AGAINST DESTRUCTION, REVEALED IN KARNENU, MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY THE J.N.F. WAS:

TREES DESTROYED LAST YEAR–54,000.

TREES DESTROYED THIS YEAR–506,000.

ALL THE TREES KILLED LAST YEAR HAVE BEEN REPLACED, AND 332,215 MORE HAVE BEEN PLANTED, PLUS 35,436 IN THE KING GEORGE V JUBILEE FOREST IN NAHALAL, 28,000 ALONG THE BANKS OF THE NAAMEN RIVER IN THE NORTHERN SECTION OF EMEK ZEVULUN, AND A PLANTING OF EUCALYPTUS TREES IN THAT SETTLEMENT. ALSO A START WAS MADE ON THE PLANTING OF A “GREEN BELT” WHICH WILL DIVIDE THE RESIDENTIAL FROM THE INDUSTRIAL ZONE OF EMEK ZEVULUN. EIGHT ROWS TOTALING 4,000 TREES WERE PLANTED ALONG AN AVENUE A KILOMETRE IN LENGTH.

AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THE TREE FUND PURCHASED SAPLINGS FROM THE SETTLEMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE FORESTS. INCOME FROM THE SALE OF THESE SAPLINGS, AND FROM THE EMPLOYMENT CONNECTED WITH FORESTATION, IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN WELL-BEING OF THE SETTLEMENTS.

PINE TREES CONTINUED TO HOLD FIRST PLACE AMONG THE PLANTINGS, REPRESENTING 22 PERCENT OF THE SEASON’S TOTAL. CAROB TREES ARE INCREASING IN IMPORTANCE SINCE THEY ARE FOREST AS WELL AS FRUIT TREES. BESIDES BEARING FRUIT IN THE SEVENTH OR EIGHT YEAR AFTER PLANTING THE CAROB HAS THE ASSET OF RESISTING FIRE. ALL THE CAROB TREES AT MISHMAR HAEMEK AND IN THE BALFOUR FOREST THAT WERE DAMAGED BY FIRE DURING THE REBELLION HAVE SINCE REVIVED.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TREES PLANTED BY THE J.N.F. UP TO THE END OF THE CURRENT YEAR IS 2,191,839, ON AN AREA OF 8,992 DUNAMS (ABOUT 2,250 ACRES).