112 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ally there was a combination of conditions specially favorable to fire— extreme 

 drouth and high winds— when the forests became excessively inflammable, and 

 when there were great conflagrations. These occasional conflagrations have 

 occurred from time immemorial, and they have destroyed vast areas of forest. 

 This last year there was such a combination of conditions. In the far west 

 the season was the driest ever known. In spite of the great interest in for- 

 estry, in spite of the almost universal desire to prevent fires, there were in 

 the national forests alone about five thousand fires during the season. Most 

 of these were extinguished promptly by the organization, with relatively small 

 loss. The great loss caused on the national forests was by only about fifteen 

 per cent of the fires. 



The occurrences during the past season furnish a clear demonstration, 

 not that the government can not protect its forests, but that with means pro- 

 vided for their proper organization and patrol the forests can be rendered 



safe. 



There has been also a great advance in forestry throughout the individual 

 states. In those states in which there has hitherto been little legislation, and 

 little active work in forestry, there has been during the year a very much 

 increased activity. In those states in which there has already been an effort 

 in public forestry matters, there has been an immense progress in the develop- 

 ment of the practice of forestry on the ground. This is work about which the 

 general public does not hear very much, but it is work which counts tremend- 

 ously. The work which State Foresters Kane, of Massachusetts; Hawes, of 

 Vermont ; Ayers and Hirst, of New Hampshire ; Spring, of Connecticut ; Pettis, 

 in New York; Gaskill, in New Jersey; Besley, in Maryland; Griffith, in Wis- 

 consin, and others are accomplishing, deserve a special public recognition. 

 It is the development of forestry along practical lines and getting the owners 

 of woodlands to introduce its principles. 



The progress in forestry during the last year on private lands has been 

 very encouraging, not only on the small woodlots of farmers, but on larger 

 holdings. The larger owners are beginning to associate themselves together 

 for mutual protection from fire, and there are today a number of very effec- 

 tive forest fire protective associations, notably those in the northwest, Wash- 

 ington and Idaho ; and I understand that there is prospect of similar associa- 

 tion in Oregon. Recently an association has also been organized in New 

 Hampshire. 



The problem of forestry is peculiar, in that it takes a long time to produce 

 a crop of trees, and forestry does not appeal to the average owner of timber 

 land, who has purchased his property for the merchantable timber upon it and 

 not to grow trees. 



The problem of forestry is essentially a public problem. The purposes of 

 forestry — to secure a closer utilization of the products and to prevent waste, to 

 secure a continuous production of timber for future use, to secure those ad- 

 vantages of the forests which pertain to the protection of our rivers, the protec- j 

 tion of the mountain Hows, and for public recreation — are of vital public im- 

 portance. They should be guaranteed by the public, for the problem is one which j 

 should not be left altogether to private individuals. The problem will not be | 

 solved by the private individuals, if it is left to them. It is true also that ' 

 the burden of working out that problem should not be placed on a single class | 

 of private individuals. The benefits of forests are public. The responsibility | 

 of bringing about forestry rests primarily on the public, and the burden of \ 

 forestry should be shared by the whole people who enjoy its benefits. j 



The national forests are already under management. Their efficient ad- ] 

 ministration and adequate protection depends on the support given by the j 

 public. 



