THE FOREST IN RELATION TO MAN 



381 



419. Soil and forests. The relation of the forest to the 

 soil is also of great practical importance. Every year the 

 streams and rivers carry down to the sea a quantity of earth 

 estimated to be worth over a billion dollars. This is not only 

 a direct loss of agri- 

 cultural resource ; it 

 also interferes with the 

 navigation of streams 

 and with the condi- 

 tions of harbors. Mil- 

 lions of dollars are 

 spent every year dredg- 

 ing harbors in this 

 country, to remove the 

 soil deposited by the 

 streams coming from 

 deforested regions. 

 And, finally, the mil- 

 lions of dollars spent 

 in reclaiming desert 

 land would all be 

 wasted but for sup- 

 plies of water drawn 



from regions covered ^^^ ^ °^^ 



with forest. 



420. Forest control 

 Because of our de 

 pendence upon the 



products of the forest, as well as upon the water and the soil 

 that are so much influenced by the living trees, the proper con- 

 trol of the forest becomes a matter of national concern. We 

 cannot depend upon the private owners of forests to handle 

 these in such a way as to secure to the general population the 

 full benefits and protection that are necessary. Ordinarily the 

 owner of a forest cares only for what he can get out of it, 



Fig. 199. A good stand of trees, Lake Placid, 



Forest areas in good condition not only furnish in- 

 valuable materials, but protect the soil and insure a 

 steady supply of water. (From photograph by United 

 States Bureau of Forestry) 



