Dr. B. E. Fernow 



dean of the faculty of forestry, university of toronto, and vice 



president american forestry association 



For more than a third of a century it has been my privilege to be more or less directly 

 engaged in advancing the movement for a more rational use of the forest resources in 

 the United States and Canada, — this time covering pretty nearly the whole period from 

 the beginning of such efforts on this continent. It is a long time, and, contemplating 

 the output of energy by a continually growing number of persons on behalf of this 

 reform, one might be apt to feel discouraged at what has been accomplished. Hasten 

 slowly has certainly been the experience! 



The reason is that under our democratic institutions education of the people at large 

 is first needful before any action can be taken; and such education sinks through only 

 slowly. 



Forestry is a business for the long run, and hence not very interesting to private 

 endeavor: it is State business. The idea that a State may properly engage in business 

 has only slowly and lately come to be realized in the United States. It was, therefore, 

 a great triumph when we succeeded in persuading the Federal Government to change 

 its land policy, namely of disposing of the public domain, and to create permanent 

 forest reservations. It was a great accomplishment to have these National Forests 

 placed under a competent technical administration. It was a noteworthy victory to 

 commit the Federal Government to the acquisition of National Forests in the Eastern 

 States, extending its conservative influence over areas for which the States themselves 

 were unable to care. 



The most strenuous effort of the reformers should now be expended in persuading 

 State after State that State-managed forests are a necessity, for, in my opinion, private 

 forestry on a large scale, such as is needed, will, except under special conditions, for 

 the present prove economicallv uninviting. 



B. E. Fernow, LL. D. 

 Vice President, American Forestry Association. 



