ILLINOIS HOKTICT-T TURAL SOCIETY. 243 



and farm buildings without number; the yearly destruction by fire and 

 storm of fleets of ocean-ships, lake and river vessels, all, all gone ! anni- 

 hilated by one fell swoop, of una\ertable destruction. 



Sir: The beginning of the end has come. 



Let the increasing waste and destruction of this material continue 

 in proportion to the increasing want of the accumulating millions of 

 population, and consequent increasing improvements, in t;xtcnded lines 

 of railroads, manufacturing, and all other wood-wants; let Congress 

 contmue to forge bars to shu» out foreign wood material, and shut us 

 in to our limited resources a quarter of a century more, then the sun of 

 our prosperity will stand still in the commercial heavens, the clouds of 

 adversity will hide its glories, the onward march of human prosperity 

 will fade away and be lost in one long and fearful night. 



Terrible as these statements appear, yet it is but a dim picture o^ 

 the dark panorama of facts to which, if unaverted, we must soon stand 

 face to face. 



But, thank God, the star of hope has arisen and in response to the 

 long and loud cry of alarm, a voice is heard from the four quarters of 

 the land, "" What shall we do ?" 



From the Department of Agriculture, from the President in his chair 

 of state, from railroad companies, from every department of human 

 industries, this inquiry comes. 



Who is responsible for the answer.'' Who shall presume to lead in 

 mstructing the cnfjuiring millions in a matter of such momentous im- 

 portance, the result of which — if wise — will tell on the prosperity and 

 well-being of the generations of all coming time ? 



I refK-at— Who shall undertake this work .^ W Im. inore than you. 

 should assume this responsibility .' You, who ha\e sounded so long and 

 loud the alarm of desolation and ruin of a Ibrestless, treeless country. 



The great awakening for wliich you have so long labored and prayed 

 has begun, and you are called upon to-day to answer; to answer wisely, 

 j)romptly. and immediately, and send it abroad as wide as the eni|uiry 

 has come. 



Thi<- IS not a time for adulation, of "folding ihe hands to sleep." 

 Then l«!l t7(Y/V7«, immediate, determined, and um easing action, he the 

 watchword of this sixth anniversary of vour consec raiion. 



The eyes in your < ountrv are lurnrd toward mmi. anrl mav divine 

 wisdom guide you in all your counsels. 



Your committee therelore recommended the immediate apijoint- 

 menlof a committee who shall report some plan, as in their judgment 

 shall be most practicable, for the General Go\ernment to adopt, pursuant 

 to the suggestions which appear in the President's message to encour- 

 age the planting of tbrests by the pioneer on lands where they do not 

 exist. 



Also a plan best adapted for states and railroad companies to en- 

 courage and aid the new settler within their borders, and on their lands 

 to plant timber. Also, that they report the particular method of plant- 



