1883 12.28 was born in a scholarly family in Sara Town, Xing Wu County, Zhejiang Province (now Nanxun District, Huzhou City). He lost his father as a child, studied in a private school, and later studied at Ronghu Academy. He was diligent and clever since he was a child. He was admitted to middle school at the age of 16, and was known as "Zhejiang gifted scholar".
Young Liang's thought of pursuing progress coincides with the Reform Movement of 1898, which further inspired his thoughts of democratic innovation. 1890, when Eight-Nation Alliance captured Beijing, he witnessed the fatuity and corruption of the Qing court. Under the control of the thought of "saving the country by armament", he joined the army and entered Zhejiang-Hangzhou armament school to study western military. 1906 (February of Guangxu thirty-two), the official fee stayed in Japan, and in August of Xuantongyuan year (1909), he entered the eighth higher (old Nagoya University) agricultural science. In Japan, influenced by the thoughts of democratic revolutionaries such as Zhang Taiyan, Liang and fellow countryman Chen (USA) participated in the China League established by Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo, accepted the democratic revolutionary thoughts, and often wrote articles in People's Daily published in Tokyo, denouncing the corruption and humiliation of the Qing Dynasty.
19 1 1 When the Revolution of 1911 broke out, he returned to China with the enthusiasm of saving the country, joined the revolutionary wave, and participated in the training of the new army of Zhejiang Hushu Military and Political Branch. After the Revolution of 1911, Liang returned to study abroad.
19 13 entered the Agricultural Department of Imperial University of Tokyo (now University of Tokyo). During his study, Liang was more interested in the manufacture of forest products and forest utilization. He concentrated on his studies and achieved excellent academic results, which was highly praised by his tutors.
19 16 Liang returned to China and worked as a technician in Fengtian (now Liaoning) Anton (now Dandong) Yalu River Timber Company. Liang was very dissatisfied with this, because the Japanese monopolized the power of the company, so he quit his job and applied to Beijing Agricultural College as a teacher and director of the forestry department for seven years.
1923, Liang resigned from his chair and went to Saxony Forest College in Dresden to study forest chemistry at his own expense. 1927 returned to China and continued to teach at Beijing Agricultural College (1926 was renamed National Beijing Agricultural University).
65438-0929 Director of Forestry Department, Agricultural College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou. Besides teaching, I am also the technical director of Zhejiang Construction Department. During this period, he published many insights on forestry construction.
1933, Liang resigned because he was dissatisfied with Guo Renyuan, the president of Zhejiang University, who crowded out Xu Xuan, the upright president of Zhejiang Agricultural College. Later, at the invitation of Zou, Dean of the Agricultural College of Central University, he taught in the Forestry Department of this school until Nanjing was liberated in 1949.
In August, after the Central University was renamed Nanjing University, 1949, Liang became the chairman of Nanjing University Trade Union. During his stay in Nanjing, he took part in many social activities while teaching. In many political activities, he took a clear-cut stand on the side of the progressive forces and resolutely opposed the perversion of reactionary rule, leaving many touching stories. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the Minister of Forestry of the Central People's Government of Ren Liang (195 1 changed to the Ministry of Forestry) actively participated in and guided China's forestry construction. Although it was only nine years (until his death), he made great contributions to the forestry construction in New China.
Liang also did a lot of social work in his life. 1935 was elected chairman of China Agricultural Society for a term of six years; Jiu San Society was founded in 1945, elected as supervisor, and served as vice chairman of Jiu San Society in 1950- 1958; 1947 Nanjing branch of Chinese scientists association was established, and Liang was elected as its chairman. 1949 was elected as a member of the Standing Committee, and was later elected as the second member of the Standing Committee; 1950 was elected as the chairman of the All-China Association for Popularization of Science and Technology; 195 1 was elected chairman of China forestry society; 1954 was elected as a deputy to the first national people's congress; 1958, the National Association for Science and Technology and Popular Science jointly held a national congress, and decided to merge the Association for Science and Technology and establish the People's Republic of China (PRC) Association for Science and Technology. Liang was elected as the vice chairman.
Developing Forestry Education in China
As early as 19 16, when Liang worked as a technician in Zhongmu Mining Company, he deeply felt that the forestry in China was very underdeveloped, and the harvesting and utilization of forest products were controlled by foreigners, which was extremely unfavorable to the rational utilization of forest resources and the development of national economy. He believes that in order to develop forestry in China, it is urgent to start with education to cultivate talents, so as to make a great wish of teaching and educating people. He has been engaged in teaching for more than 30 years, teaching courses such as forest utilization, forest product manufacturing chemistry, wood science and wood preservation, and has trained a number of forestry professionals. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it has made great contributions to forestry education in new China.
All of Professor Liang's courses are self-edited, and the handouts are constantly being revised and supplemented with new contents. In the experimental class, although there are teaching assistants, they always personally guide and demonstrate. Some difficult experimental methods are taught to students one by one.
Liang is not only strict with himself, but also with students and teaching assistants. He made a mistake at work, and he criticized it severely and was not at all polite. He is not allowed to attend class or be late for work. Working on time and cherishing time are the principles he always abides by.
Liang not only tirelessly teaches and educates people in study and work, but also cares and cares for students in thought, life and career, and truly teaches and educates people. He teaches students that learning knowledge in life is like building a tall building. You should lay a good foundation first, then read widely and brainstorm. He also teaches students how to be a man, put people's interests first, avoid greed for profits, do things honestly and practically, and never have any pride or exaggeration. Liang is most willing to mingle with students and take part in their activities. 194 1 year, five students graduated from Central University (now Nanjing Forestry University) majoring in forestry. He improvised a poem at the farewell party and gave everyone a book. The poem says: "One tree is loose and one teenager is young, and the trees are lush. And write it on Bashan. " Liang compared five students to Wukesong trees, which just formed the word "forest", and his ingenious ideas contained Liang's ardent hopes and deep feelings for students. Students are in financial difficulties, so he gives them money to help them. He supports students to go abroad for further study and teaches them to study with peace of mind and never forget their motherland. 1In August, 945, before Wu went to study in the United States, Liang Xianshi wrote a poem: "In July, the fire flowed west, and the sky was silent to send Wu Lang. I didn't know until I came back three years ago that the sea is good for planting mulberry. "
Attach importance to experimental teaching with practice
A major feature of Liang teaching is to integrate theory with practice and attach importance to experimental teaching. During his teaching in Zhejiang University and Central University, he attached great importance to the construction of laboratories, and successively established forestry laboratories in the two universities. During the period of 1937, due to the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, the headquarters of Central University was moved to Shapingba, Chongqing. He leads three laboratories: Wood Science Laboratory, Forest Chemistry Laboratory and Forest Products Utilization Group Laboratory of Central Forestry Laboratory. At that time, Liang Xi-nian was near the flower, and he often ran around for laboratories and materials and equipment. On one occasion, he ran eight times to get a few gallons of alcohol, which shows the difficulty of scientific research at that time. Under his painstaking efforts, the forest chemistry laboratory of Central University (now Nanjing University) at that time had begun to take shape, and its books, materials and various equipment were second to none in all forestry departments in China. Many experts and scholars were amazed when they visited this laboratory!
Personal style, work situation
Liang's style is decent, and he is upright and upright. In order to devote himself to science and education, he never pursues fame and fortune. He is upright and upright, and his moral character is noble, which fully embodies the lofty quality of an educator.
Liang, who is also the technical director of the Construction Department of Zhejiang Province (equivalent to today's senior engineer), only agreed to help formulate the development plan of Zhejiang forest industry for a short period of time, without taking administrative leadership positions or receiving extra salary. Travel around Hangzhou, Huzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, Taizhou and other places, and publish investigation reports such as "Seeing the Mountain in Zhejiang". 193 1 In the spring of, Zhu Jiahua, the new president of Central University, sent someone to the Agricultural College of Hangzhou Zhejiang University and invited Liang to be the dean of the Agricultural College of Central University. Because he didn't want to engage in administrative work, he quietly left Nanjing and returned to Hangzhou only one month after going to the hospital, and wrote to Zhu Jiahua to politely decline. The action of Liang hanging his crown and leaving became a much-told story for a while.
1932, Chen, an important figure of the Kuomintang, asked to set up a "ham department" in the Agricultural College of Zhejiang University. Liang and Xu Xuan, the dean at that time, thought it was interference in school work and ignored it. Chen pressured the Agricultural College through Guo Renyuan, president of Zhejiang University, and President Xu resigned angrily. Administratively, Liang was invited to succeed him as Dean, but Liang sympathized with his old friend Xu Xuan and flatly refused to become Dean. He resigned with more than 60 teachers including Jin Shanbao and Cai Banghua and left Zhejiang University.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, forestry has developed greatly, and there is a shortage of forestry technical talents in various places. Liang, as the first minister and educator of Forestry Department in New China, deeply felt the importance of training forestry technical cadres. He immediately consulted with several leaders of Forestry Department and put forward the idea of developing forestry education as soon as possible to solve the problem of cadre shortage. 1952, at Liang's suggestion and with the consent of the State Council's leaders, the Ministry of Forestry cooperated with the Ministry of Education to adjust agricultural and forestry colleges, and set up three independent forestry colleges in Beijing, Harbin and Nanjing respectively, and expanded the Ministry of Forestry in 13 agricultural colleges, increasing the enrollment quota. Since then, the forest industry has formed a "school fever." By 1958, there were 1 1 independent forestry colleges in China, and there were 19 forestry departments in agricultural colleges, with more than 30,000 teachers and students. At the beginning of 1950, there were not enough students majoring in forestry in colleges and universities nationwide 100, which shows the rapid development. To this end, Liang once said excitedly, "I have been teaching in old China for 30 years and trained so many students. I want to change the face of forestry in China. I want to make the Yellow River in China flow with clear water and turn the bare land into green hills. My publicity activities are just academic comments, and empty talk is useless. Only after liberation, under the leadership of Chairman Mao and communist party, can our ideal be realized. The forestry technicians trained by the National Government for decades are not as many as those trained by New China in two years, and China's forestry is promising. "
Founder of forest products manufacturing chemistry
During his 40-year forestry career, Liang has been engaged in the teaching and scientific research of forest product manufacturing chemistry and forest utilization for more than 30 years. He believes that China is a mountainous country with abundant forest products, and vigorously developing the manufacturing chemistry of forest products is the way to enrich the country and benefit the people. Liang began to teach the chemistry of forest products manufacturing from 19 16, making it an independent subject for the first time in China. While teaching, he attaches great importance to scientific research. 19 19, the first forest chemistry laboratory in China was established in Zhejiang university, and then a similar laboratory was established in Central University, and experimental studies were carried out on turpentine extraction, camphor making instruments, tung oil seed analysis and tung oil extraction, wood dry distillation, wood essence quantification and lignin quantification. 1935, he improved the condenser for making camphor in Zhuji, Zhejiang, and made it into an experimental device for extracting camphor (camphor oil). Compared with the Tosa condenser improved by Professor San Pu Ibaro of Imperial University of Tokyo, the camphor output increased by110-169%. Unfortunately, 25-50% of tung oil remains in tung cake (meal) when the tung oil is extracted by the old method in China. In the experiment of chemical extraction of tung oil by Liang in 1935, more than 99% of tung oil can be obtained, which greatly improves the yield of tung oil.
Liang has accumulated a lot of teaching notes in his teaching practice for more than 30 years. Among them, the representative work is "Chemistry of Forest Products" written by him all his life. This is a textbook with more than 600,000 words. The manufacturing chemistry of forest products is a manufacturing chemistry with forest products as raw materials, which was previously collectively referred to as forest product manufacturing. Because the mechanical processing and utilization of forest products have been described in the Science of Forest Utilization, Liang changed the name of the manufacturing chemistry of forest products to the manufacturing chemistry of other substances made from by-products such as wood or bark, leaves and trees. Although the first draft of this book was completed in the 1930s, he didn't want to rush to print because of his rigorous scholarship, so that the first draft was not published even after repeated supplements. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he continued to collect information and enrich the content during his tenure as Minister of Forestry. Unfortunately, he didn't see the publication of this book before his death. It was not until after his death that his students compiled and published the manuscript in 1983. This book is rich in content, rigorous in style and incisive in argument. This is a book of forestry science with high value, which still plays an important guiding role in the development of forest products chemical industry in China.
Vigorously develop forestry
In the twenties and thirties of this century, forest ecology in China has not yet formed a systematic discipline, and people's understanding of the benefits of forests and the significance of forestry management is still vague, and the methods of forestry management are also unscientific. However, based on observation and personal experience, Liang had a basic understanding of the viewpoints of forest ecology, and publicized these viewpoints many times, and put forward the management direction of all-round development of forestry.
In 194 1, Liang clearly pointed out: "Forests are not only interdependent, but also restricted by each tree, so are the surrounding conditions. Residents and animals near the forest also affect the development of trees." "Forests are closely related to all the surrounding conditions, even to politics (especially politics). If we want to isolate it, study and cultivate it separately, regardless of all the environment, I am afraid that afforestation will fail, even if it is caused for a while, it will be destroyed. " 1954, he developed this view in the book The Role of Forests in National Economic Construction. He said: "Forest is the unity of forest itself and its environment", "therefore, it has considerable control ability to natural disasters such as water, drought and sandstorm, and thus has a significant role in farmland water conservancy". This is Liang's basic understanding of the unity of forest and environment.
People's livelihood issues and forests
As early as 1929, Liang wrote the article People's Livelihood and Forest, and made an incisive exposition on the close relationship between forest and environment. He pointed out that human beings lived in the forest as early as the monkey era. "The forest is the place where human beings originated, and human beings have developed to this point thanks to the forest." Later, agriculture and forestry separated. "The farmer is in charge of clothes and food, and the Lins are in charge of housing and transportation. Therefore, half of the people's livelihood problems in that era depended on agriculture and half on forestry. " In the19th century, "the forest not only managed life and walking, but also managed some clothes and food". There is no forest in the country, and the people are miserable. ""To teach us to be masters of the East, to save our China Spring, we must never make the five elements of China short of trees and never despise the forest ". Liang profoundly analyzed the relationship between forestry and people's livelihood from history to reality, and embodied the basic idea of comprehensive benefits of forestry.
In the 1950s, Liang raised the role of forests to a higher position. Many speeches and articles discussed the relationship between forest and agriculture, forest and industry, forest and environment, scientifically demonstrated that forest can prevent drought, flood and sandstorm, deeply analyzed the role of forest main products (wood) in industrial construction, and expounded the role of forest by-products in people's lives in detail. He is particularly concerned about the relationship between forest and agriculture, forest and water conservancy. 1958 published an article in Traveler magazine, pointing out that "afforestation is the most effective and economical way of soil and water conservation", and after afforestation, "there must be springs in the mountains and reservoirs in the forests". In addition, because mountain areas prevent soil erosion, they can also protect farmland, reduce disasters and ensure a bumper harvest of crops. "Due to the increase of forest resources, the wood produced can support industrial construction. Therefore, forestry construction is one of the important constructions of national socialism. " He also concluded that the purpose of forestry is to "partially serve agriculture-protect farmland water conservancy; Part of it is for industry-to ensure the supply of various industrial raw materials and building materials. " According to years of observation and research, Liang concluded that "soil and water conservation is the key to governance, and forest land improvement is one of the basic links of soil and water conservation", "afforestation is the most effective method of soil and water conservation", "forestry is the foundation of agriculture" and "forestry is an indispensable part of national economic construction".
Important guiding significance
Liang's early theory and basic understanding of forest function still have important guiding significance for current forestry construction.
Based on the new forestry theory, Liang produced a new forestry management idea and put forward the management direction of developing forestry in an all-round way. In view of the scarcity of forest resources and frequent natural disasters in China, he strongly advocated that the development of forestry should not only cut down timber, but also generally protect forests, vigorously plant trees, increase forest resources, improve coverage, and fully meet the growing needs of social economy for forestry. In many books, he repeatedly said that it is necessary to meet people's needs for forests and by-products, and to meet the needs of the whole society for environmental beautification. When he inspected the forestry in Taiwan Province Province on 1948, he proposed that "there must be a most reasonable management system to manage the forestry in Taiwan Province Province, so that the growth of trees can be improved, the economic value can be improved, and the business can develop and the economy can prosper if it continues to operate". After Ren Liang became the Minister of Forestry, under the guidance of the Party and the government's policy of developing forestry, the business concept of developing forestry in an all-round way has made new progress. 1949, he put forward at a forestry symposium: "Logging must be carried out according to a certain plan, and logging must pay attention to whether logging should be carried out in a certain place, regardless of the convenience or inconvenience of logging in a certain place, that is, it is right to carry out logging according to the predetermined planting plan." 1950 at the first national forestry business conference in February, Liang put forward the forestry policy and tasks in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China: "universal forest protection, key afforestation, rational management of forests, and harvesting and utilization of forests." Liang also put forward many plans to build various forest types, including timber forest, windbreak forest, flood control forest, firewood forest, fruit tree forest and special economic forest. 1950, Liang proposed at the Northwest Agricultural Technology Conference that "the sand prevention forest belt and the Yellow River water source forest should be built in a planned and step-by-step manner" and "the Great Green Wall should be built in the east of Ningxia and the north of Gansu to stop the desert from moving south". 195 1 year, at the third session of the First National Committee of China People's Political Consultative Conference, he put forward the idea of building large-scale sand-control forest belts in the northwest, northeast and west, which set the tone for today's "Three North" shelterbelt construction. 1956 further put forward "greening villages, roads, rivers and cities" in the article "Young people get up and green the motherland". To green the mountains in China, you can green the water in China. ". The essence of Liang Senlin's management thought is to plant all trees, completely eliminate barren hills and afforest the whole of China, and strive to achieve "beautiful scenery and favorable weather" in order to realize his early ideal of "Huang Heqing flowing water, bare land turning into green hills".
In order to achieve this goal, Liang believes that one is to fight against nature, and the other is to fight against people's traditional business methods. He is very clear against deforestation and land reclamation, pointing out: "The total output of society cannot be increased by cutting mountains and reclaiming land, and the cultivated land only increases slightly in the first year or two, but it is difficult to protect steep slopes for a long time. Sooner or later, the slopes will become evil, the slopes will become rocks, the rivers will become Shatian, and the mountains and rivers will be at the end of the road." 1956, he made a suggestion at the third session of the first session of the National People's Congress: "Only by doing a good job in mountain planning, especially making rational use of land, and solving the contradiction between agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, can we point out a bright future for the masses and prevent them from opening mountains indiscriminately." * * * The Central Committee adopted Liang's thoughts when formulating the national agricultural development program.
Liang's set of guiding opinions on the all-round development of forestry was approved by the central authorities and arranged by the Ministry of Forestry to be implemented nationwide. In 1950s, a new situation appeared in the national forestry work. China's artificial afforestation area has greatly increased, with good quality and high survival rate. At that time, the trees built by people all over the country had become lush forests.
Forestry Construction in New China
1949 At the beginning of May, Liang attended the preparatory meeting of the Central People's Government as a Democrat. At the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference meeting held in September, he proposed the establishment of the Ministry of Forest Reclamation. He adopted his suggestion and appointed Liang as Minister of Reclamation. Liang felt very uneasy, so he wrote a note to him: "When you are nearly 70 years old, you will be incompetent. It is still appropriate to return to Nanjing to teach. " Zhou Enlai wrote a sentence after reading it: "It is our duty to serve the people." Reply to the beam. Liang read the reply and wrote excitedly: "Serve the people and swear to death." Give it to Zhou Enlai. Since then, this old man, who is nearly ancient and rare, has devoted all his energy to the forestry cause in New China and made great contributions to the forestry construction in New China.
Open up a new working situation
Liang not only has a far-sighted strategic thought in forestry construction, but also attaches great importance to work style and methods, and is good at grasping key points, grasping key points and opening up new situations in work. There was no reclamation department in old China, and everything in new China has to start from scratch. Liang discussed with Li, vice minister of forest reclamation, and decided to grasp three things first: first, put on airs, set up a forest reclamation department, and establish and improve forestry institutions nationwide; The second is to find out the situation and the existing forest resources in the country; The third is to lay a good foundation and prepare for the great development of forestry. In order to do these things well, Liang often does it himself, makes careful inquiries and careful calculations, and repeatedly studies with comrades around him. Even a number is not sloppy. Under the care and leadership of the central leadership, some forestry institutions have been quickly established and restored throughout the country, and according to the unified deployment of the central democratic reform work, the forest areas in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia have been transformed and built, so that the old forest areas have been transformed into socialist enterprises in an orderly manner, and some manual operations have been gradually transformed into semi-mechanized or mechanized operations, laying a preliminary material and technical foundation for China's forestry construction. The biggest feature of Liang's leadership work is his "realistic" style. He paid great attention to in-depth investigation and study, and repeatedly said, "Although I am old, as long as I can walk, I will try to run and see more all over the country." From 1950 to 1955, he visited the northwest, northeast and Zhejiang forest areas six times, which lasted more than 300 days. Among them, the investigation of soil and water conservation and forestry construction in the Yellow River basin has spent the most time and energy.
1In September, 950, Liang led six forestry scientific and technical personnel to investigate in Weishui and Xiaolongshan areas (Tianshui area, Gansu Province), and repeatedly asked local cadres about a forestry policy issue concerning future generations: How to solve the contradiction between logging and forest management in the windy and dusty areas of northwest China when there is a serious shortage of timber for national construction? How to thoroughly rectify the Yellow River? This series of questions troubled him so much that he couldn't sleep at night. Weihe River is the epitome of the Yellow River. When Liang was in Baoji, he stood on the Weishui Bridge and looked at the muddy river with sediment. His heart is very heavy. He saw from Weishui how the soil was lost, how the riverbed was silted, and how the flood was caused. The fundamental way to solve the sandstorm and soil erosion in northwest China is to "resolutely, bravely and unremittingly fight against it, and it must be fought for a long time." The weapon of war is the forest. ""to clean up the roots, only forest protection and afforestation. "This is the conclusion of his day and night thinking and field investigation.
on-the-spot investigation
In order to find out whether it is scientific and reasonable to build a forest railway on the right bank of Dongcha River in Xiaolongshan area for logging, Liang personally visited Xiaolongshan after inspecting Weishui. Xiaolongshan is on the south bank of Weihe River. The forest here plays a role in soil and water conservation, and the water flowing out is transparent. If large-scale logging continues, the river may become turbid. The road in the forest area is difficult to walk, so Liang had to take an ox cart and finally ride a donkey and walk 20 kilometers to the logging site. I stayed in the field for a few days, leaving early and returning late. After investigation, I finally made a decision: stop the construction of the narrow-gauge railway to transport timber, set up an afforestation experimental station, expand the business scope of Xiaolongshan Qinling Forest Farm to forest protection and afforestation, take logging as a sideline, and dispatch sleepers from the northeast to support the northwest. This is a bold and far-sighted decision. When Liang left Xiaolongshan, he wrote two poems for the person in charge of the timber yard: "I would like to go where I have been and lie in the deep shadows" (the original sentence of Li Bai's "A Kind Pillow Bowl from the Lower Zhongnanshan" is "Looking back, see my way and lie in the deep shadows"). Now this wish has come true. According to the people who worked in Yulin Station that year, the logging land has been lush and covered with dense trees.
In order to understand the situation of Fenhe River, another important tributary of the Yellow River, Liang visited Shaanxi in 1950+ 10. In June 1952, 165438+ 10, the Jinghe river basin was inspected. 1From March to April, 1953, I visited Yanhe River, Luohe River and Wuding River basins. Before the inspection, he first held a forum with agriculture, water conservancy and agriculture, forestry, water conservancy and animal husbandry in northwest China. During the inspection, party and government officials were invited to have a discussion when passing through the special zone, and also talked with county heads and county party Committee members when passing through key counties to understand the situation. Liang summarized the investigation, wrote detailed reports respectively, and put forward preliminary opinions on soil and water conservation, afforestation and sand prevention, which made full preparations for formulating the construction scheme of water source forest and soil and water conservation forest in the Yellow River basin.