WOMAN'S WORK FOR CONSERVATION 



343 



The Colorado federation last year was re- 

 sponsible for the expenditure of a fund of 

 $5,000 for trees and shrubs, and has dis- 

 tributed tree seeds to every club in the state, 

 and is also using active influence for a great 

 irrigation scheme at the present time. 



Delaware clubs cooperated with the trus- 

 tees of their university and secured a state 

 forester, which is the first step that should 

 be taken in a state desiring to establish a for- 

 estry system. Florida women were instru- 

 mental in securing the national forest re- 

 serves in their state. 



The New England states and New Jersey 

 are cooperating with their state foresters, to 

 use their club audiences as lecture centers 

 to spread the gospel of forestry. Hundreds 

 of acres are now going under forest cover in 

 Connecticut as the results of this system of 

 education, the state forester, the president 

 of the Connecticut Forestry Association, and 

 the chairman of the Federation forestry com- 

 mittee forming a lecture staff. It is the 

 opinion of your chairman that that is the 

 best way to get actual results in forestation. 

 The civic division of the Iowa federation 

 will put thousands of dollars of bluff park 

 lands" into the hands of commissions and co- 

 operate with them in caring for it. 



Illinois has been active in many directions. 

 One club in Chicago succeeded in having the 

 city forester appointed. The Belt line park 

 .system was the suggest of another club. The 

 Federation is doing yeoman work to save the 

 Ogle County white pines for a state reserve. 

 Maine also has worked for Mount Kahtadin 

 as a state reserve. The state chairman of 

 forestry for Kentucky has compiled a valu- 

 able manual of the trees of her state. Florida 

 had a similar list prepared for the Fed- 

 eration by Mr. John Gififord, by request 

 of the state chairman. 



Mrs. Patterson, chairman for Indiana, has 

 written a charming little play for the use 

 of the schools on Arbor Day. Mrs. Wilkin- 

 son's efforts as chairman for Louisiana have 

 covered a large field ; she is responsible for 

 the organization of a state forestry associa- 

 tion. This is most valuable work, as it 

 means an organized body, watching and 

 working for state forestry legislation. 



Ohio has only had a forestry department 

 this year, but has already donated trees to a 

 hospkal, saved historic trees, and is work- 

 ing in many lines of civic improvement. 



Notable work for school gardens is done 

 by the City Federation of Saginaw, Mich. 

 The Grand Rapids Woman's Club has bought 

 land and planted it with trees. Nearly all 

 the states are studying forestry questions, and 

 are trying to have some elementary forestry 

 introduced into the schools. 



Our work for the Audubon Society is not 

 as active as it should be. Can we logically 

 work for conservation, and e.xpect to be lis- 

 tened to, while we still continue to encourage 

 the destruction of the song birds by follow- 

 ing the hideous fashion of wearing song birds 

 and egrets upon our hats? 



We know that the insect pest has worked 

 an economic change in agricultural processes, 

 and if we wish we can, not only as federa- 

 tions but as individuals, render great service 

 to the cause of conservation by refusing 

 to be decorated with dead song birds. If 

 women can raise freight rates because of the 

 size of their hats, they can reduce the insect 

 pest by changing the trimming. 



It has been the policy of your chairman to' 

 urge the women's clubs to seek cooperation 

 with existing commissions, associations, and 

 persons engaged in forestry work in their 

 respective states. Membership in the Amer- 

 ican Forestry and National Conservation as- 

 sociations is recommended. Conservation of 

 native plants and birds are lines of work 

 particularly in the province of women, and 

 are therefore urgently recommended. 



As all civilized countries but the United 

 States have a quarantine law against im- 

 ported nursery stock, and as more than half 

 the agricultural insect pests have come to us 

 from other countries, it is urged that we 

 work for a national quarantine law against 

 imported nurser\' stock. 



The first recommendation sent to the clubs 

 from your chairman is the last one — work 

 to secure a state forester, or, if you have 

 one, place yourselves under his direction. 



The questions sent from this department 

 were designed to be suggestive of lines of 

 work, as well as to secure information. 

 Realizing that they do not fully cover all 

 the work, reports from chairman have been 

 requested. Very few have responded. 



Your chairman has delivered fifteen for- 

 estry addresses, visited two state federations, 

 and been twice to confer with the forestrj'- 

 department of the New Jersey state federa- 

 tion. 



Report from the Questions — -^,5/6 Clubs 

 Report 



1. What especial line of conservation has your 



club undertaken? 150 — Forestry, water- 

 ways, trees in cities. Weeks bill, and 

 Hetch-Hetchy Valley. 



2. Has your club assisted other associations 



in holding forestry institutes, lectures, or 

 in introducing elementary forestry into 

 the public schools or normal training 

 schools ? 266 — Lectures and introducing 

 elementary forestry in public schools. 



3. Have you helped to secure any state legis- 



lation in behalf of forestry laws by let- 

 ters, personal interviews, or petitions, 

 such as forest fire laws, remission of 

 taxes for afforestation, or appropriations 

 for buying waste land for demonstration 

 forests? 283 — Have sent petitions and 

 letters for state and national legislation. 



4. Has your club studied any of the follow- 



ing forestry questions: (a) Raising 

 Christmas trees as a crop, by the farmers? 

 (h) Forest cover for reservoir lands? 

 (c) The city or municipal forest for in- 

 come and esthetic value? 168 clubs have 

 studied some or all of these questions. 



