Discussion on the Address of President Earle. 47 



ries; but with us we are opposed to any law that prevents the de- 

 struction of forests by the cheapest and quickest method possible. 



Prof, iemmow, of California — lam a botanist, and I indorse the 

 speech of the President, as I do not think our western forests grow 

 too rapidly, except in a very few localities. All along our coasts 

 can be seen a saddening sight of desolation brought about by the 

 greed of those who own the summits of our mountains. 



Prof. Bidpath, of Indiana — The note of warning sounded by the 

 President ought to be heeded. I was born in a noble woodland 

 that has been destroyed; those who destroyed it gained little, but 

 we are sufferers now. In my boyhood the air was humid, and T 

 remember hearing an old man say that he had once, on a summer's 

 day, ridden along through the moist air in the shade of the trees 

 and said to himself, " There will never be dust in Putnam county;" 

 but if you could see it now you would never think it could have 

 been anything else. All our moisture has gone with the trees. 

 This destruction of trees has changed Asia Minor into a desert 

 land; even Oregon will see the thing in the future. As for the 

 pests which follow civilization, we can meet and overcome them by 

 science ; their propagation depends upon conditions which, when 

 accurately known, can be removed, for man is master of them. 

 Just as cities can banish all zymotic diseases when they unite energy 

 with science, so can we remove these microscopic enemies from our 

 orchards. Buckle remarks that happiness depends on our knowl- 

 edge and mastery of natural laws, and when we know a little more 

 about these pests we can overcome them. I think the President is 

 right in his views on education ; we need a higher classical culture. 



President Earle — Forestry will be before the meeting again, as 

 we have an essay from Mr. Fernow, Chief of the Bureau of For- 

 estry, and also Robert Douglas, who will meet us at Riverside, will 

 read an essay on the same subject. I believe this to be the most 

 important subject that will be before us at this meeting. Let us 

 pass to the subject of grape culture. Prof. Husmann, of California, 

 will now present his paper. 



