President Earless Address. 41 



should be necessary to arouse every class of thinking men to take some im- 

 mediate action to arrest the threatening waste of our forests and to rebuild 

 these faithful guardians of climate and soil. There is nothing better estab- 

 lished in physical science than that a good proportion of forest is necessary 

 to maintain equability of climate. It is conceded by scientific men, and 

 sustained by practical experience in many countries, that as much as one- 

 fifth or one-fourth of the land should be in forests to secure the greatest ag- 

 gregate of agricultural crops. I can not stop to discuss the philosophy of 

 this statement, but the fact will scarcely be questioned. There are several 

 of our states that have passed the limit of safety in timber waste; but the 

 work of woodland destruction goes on with remorseless energy. I can name 

 you states where nearly or quite one- half of the total area of land has been 

 laid bare of forest growth in about a quarter of a century. Some of them 

 have not five per cent, of their valuable timber left; and so far neither the 

 nation nor any state has made any serious attempt to stop the waste or to 

 promote forest culture. The governments of other countries show much 

 more wisdom than we. The European governments live in the immediate 

 presence of the ruin and national decay that have come to once fertile and 

 populous lands. The institutions of civilization have never declined in a 

 country that has maintained its forests — I think I can safely say that they 

 have never been maintained in any country that has wasted its woodland 

 heritage without repair. Hence, these enlightened governments have been 

 long taking the most vigorous measures to conserve and to restore the great 

 protective agency of the green and glorious woods. 



It is the clear duty of our general government to absolutely prohibit 

 the further slaughter of the timber on its domain,and to withdraw all forest 

 lands from sale except to meet the pressing needs of settlers. And why 

 should not this government take similar measures to those taken in the old 

 world to establish forests on treeless public lands ? And can not our state 

 governments encourage timber planting by a judicious system of bounties 

 and arrest its waste by a very heavy tax on timber cutting? By some such 

 plan, or by some plan, the states should take prompt action for the ujibuild- 

 ing of forestry ; and no graver responsibility rests upon our legislatures 

 than this. 



THOSE GONE BEFORE. 



There is one sad duty remaining to me on this occasion : to announce 

 the names of two friends who have passed onward beyond the reach of 

 mortal vision. This society had no more zealous member, and horticulture 

 no warmer friend, than A. C. Kendel, of Cleveland, Ohio, who died during 

 the last autumn. Many of our members mourn his loss as that of a brother. 

 Mr. Kendel was one of our largest and most useful fruit merchants, and was 

 one of the class whose faithfulness and integrity all men praised. He was 

 the affectionate head of a devoted family ; he was active in every good work 

 for helping his fellow-men ; he was in all places a gentleman, and in all the 

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