EDITORIAL 



The National Conservation Association 



THE American Forestry Associa- 

 tion will extend a cordial welcome 

 to the National Conservation Associa- 

 tion, the organization of which has just 

 been announced. For over twenty 

 years, through many of which forestry 

 was misunderstood and unpopular, and 

 "conservation" remained hidden in the 

 dictionary, awaiting its Roosevelt as 

 America awaited Columbus, this asso- 

 ciation has worked for better conserva- 

 tion legislation, and for wider and 

 sounder knowledge of forestry, with all 

 that it means to the people's welfare. 

 To it the advocacy of the vital issues 

 raised by the conservation movement 

 seemed in a measure to fall, because 

 it was the strongest and most completely 

 organized popular association in the 

 field, and because forestry is the key- 

 stone of the conservation arch and soils 

 and waters look to the forest as parent, 

 conserver, and restorer. This must in- 

 evitably influence our work in the fu- 

 ture. We cannot, if we would, divorce 

 the forestry cause from the whole great 

 conservation work, but there is much to 

 do and our work is so large, so impor- 

 tant, and so well defined that we rejoice 

 in the appearance of a strong combi- 

 nation, in which we hope to find a 

 powerful ally, which assumes the obli- 

 gation to push the conservation work 

 along other lines. 



An impression has been fostered by 

 some newspaper outgivings that there 

 is some rivalry or hostility between the 

 two associations. For our part we 

 know of none, nor reason for any. Our 

 own work remains clear before us, and 

 becomes larger year by year as the need 

 of forestry and the public appreciation 



of it grow. To make this magazine 

 the representative and authorative popu- 

 lar presentation of American Forestry, 

 with all that the term implies in main- 

 taining the primary forces of conserva- 

 tion ; through it and through all the 

 educational means at our command to 

 inform the people on forestry and the 

 allied subjects of soils and waters; to 

 secure the most effective legislation in 

 the Nation and each of its common- 

 wealths — this is our program, and it is 

 big enough and definite enough to enlist 

 the support of all good Americans. We 

 recognize no rivalry except that of who 

 shall accomplish most for the public 

 welfare. 



^ as ms 



Prevention of Timber Waste 



HOW to prevent waste is one of 

 the great forestry topics, along 

 with taxation, forest fires, reforestation, 

 and the other familiar headings of the 

 forest creed. On this subject Capt. 

 J. B. White, of Missouri, made an ad- 

 mirable address at the recent southern 

 conservation meeting in New Orleans. 

 Incidentally he paid his respects to the 

 popular idea of a lumber trust, main- 

 taining that it did not exist, and that 

 high prices for lumber were not due to 

 artificial forcing, but were the natural 

 result of a supply inadequate to meet 

 the demand. We believe he was right. 

 He discussed the proposal that the 

 states should regulate the cutting of 

 lumber by restricting it to a certain 

 size, finding this impracticable, as have 

 all professional foresters who have con- 

 sidered it, so far as we know. Often, 

 he said, the smaller tree would be of 

 more value than the larger for specific 

 purposes. Size regulation is imprac- 



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