THE FUNCTION OF THE FOREST* 



By Dr. N, KAUMANNS 

 Imperial German Agricultural Attache to the United States 



IF IN my speech I do not touch some The wild bees, hanging their busy 



questions of importance to your in- hives on the boughs, gave them honey, 



terests, you may seek the reason for which, when mixed with the sap of the 



this in the fact that, only lately, your birch, made a wholesome beverage, 



first authority on forestry has published Their huts were built of the wood of 



a most thorough and able pamphlet in the trees about them ; they warmed 



this direction, entitled, "What Forestry themselves at fires wliose fagots came 



Has Done." from the timber. Their weapons, par- 



I am proud and at the same time ticularly the long spear, were for the 



glad to read in this pamphlet, what most part fashioned from the stoutest 



position Mr. Pinchot assigns to German woods. Their religion was essentially 



forestry in the Union, and that is why a forest-cult, traces of which are still 



I, too, gladly accepted your kind invi- to be found in the inborn love and ap- 



tation to speak here about the import- preciation of their modern representa- 



ance of forestry in general. tives for the beauties of the woodlands. 



If we wish to assign some reason their leafy solitudes, the music of the 

 for the great pleasure and interest Ger- wind in the branches, the caroling of 

 mans and peoples of Germanic race take the birds in the lofty treetops and the 

 in forests and things of the forest more soft murmurs of some half-hidden 

 than peoples of Latin stock, we must rill. "The God of the German dwelt 

 seek it in their character. From ancient not in the cold wealth of marble fane, 

 times the Germans have regarded their nor in the echoing vastness of grand 

 groves with great veneration. Under cathedrals, but mid the fresh groves of 

 the branches of trees still more ancient, eternal oaks." Under these venerable 

 our ancestors conducted the solemn trees the ancient German adored his 

 ceremonies of their worship. The dei- gods, for there only, it seemed to him. 

 ties spoke to them in the rustling of could divinity properly dwell, 

 the leaves and the creaking of the It is but natural that men who had 

 boughs. And to-day their descendants been brought up in the close companion- 

 break out in song and jubilation amid ship of the forests should transmit to 

 leafy shades that centuries ago wit- their offspring, through well-nigh 

 nessed the solemn procession wend its countless generations, some of their 

 way to the sacrificial altars. deep regard for woodland beauty, an- 

 The inhabitants of ancient India, tiquity and associations. r)Ut with this 

 also, venerated the forests as the spc- regard they associated due appreciation 

 cial dwelling-place of their divinities, of the present economic value of their 

 but the early Germans were, in a forests. The question of their preser- 

 greater sense, children of the woods. vation and distribution, so that all 

 They lived in the forests. The forests places may at all times derive their 

 furnished them all the necessities of share of the benefits from them, is one 

 life, just as the wild beasts, particularly of pressing importance. Aside from 

 the bear, clothed them with their furs. every consideration of the past, the 



*Delivered before the National Irrigation Congress at Spokane, Wash., .Angu.^t, 1909. 

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