State and National Governments and Forestry. 169 



ner in which the natural forests ought to be treated in order to give a con- 

 tinuous supply of the best material; ignorance as to the manner of planting 

 new forests. 



To some extent the Forestry Division of the National Department of 

 Agriculture, instituted partly for this purpose, answers to this need ; but it 

 might be better equipped, and, after all, it will be necessary for each state to 

 supplement and aid its work. Among the simplest and most easily accom- 

 plished institutions to that end. I propose that each state make an annual 

 or biennial report of its forest area and the conditions of the same, and of 

 its lumber business up to date. These details might be gathered by tax 

 assessors under instructions from the forest commissioner or commission, 

 and, together with other statistics, be digested by the latter, with the view 

 of keeping an approximate idea of supply and demand before the public. 



Further, the state agricultural experiment stations, being endowed by 

 the general government, should institute, in connection and under advise- 

 ment with the forestry division or the state forest commissioner, such labor- 

 atory and field experiments as are needed to show the true value of timbers, 

 to show the dependence of their quality on the particular factors of site, to 

 ascertain their rate of growth, and other laws upon which a forest manage- 

 ment must be based. 



Another method by which state legislation can dispel ignorance is by 

 endowing either forestry associations, or, in their absence, the horticultural 

 associations for active forestry work, in the same manner as the state horti- 

 cultural associations are now endowed. The collecting and distribution of 

 information may be accomplished through the aid of such associations. The 

 Kansas Horticultural Society is a shining example of what may be done in 

 this direction. If a wandering lecturer could be employed in addition, to 

 arouse to intelligent action and instruct the people in forest management 

 and forest culture, we might soon register as good results as this institution 

 has brought in Switzerland. 



I do not consider forestry schools to be called for as yet, but every agri- 

 cultural college, to be worthy of -its name, should have a course in forestry 

 as one of the branches of soil culture. A national forestry school, for the 

 education of the officers of the -proposed National Forestry Department, 

 based somewhat on the pattern of the military schools, may become desir- 

 able when such department is instituted. 



There still remains to be considered the legislation of direct encourage- 

 ment to tree-planting. This is the last to be attempted, the most difficult to 

 devise and to execute, but by no means impossible. Such laws should not 

 be enacted until the importance of forestry as a business has been fully 

 recognized, and we are willing to make adequate efforts, and until the proper 

 machinery to guard against misappropriation of such encouragement is pro- 

 vided. A release from taxation, or a bounty to the extent of a few pennies 

 or a few dollars as some states have enacted, is no encouragement. Such 

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