Forestry. 169 



planting, yet for a number of years I have been in- 

 terested in whatever I could learn, or read about " For- 

 estry." Perhaps my occupation as a builder has put 

 me more directly in this line of study and reading, 

 and I have counted the stroke of the woodman's ax from 

 the forests of Maine to the western slope of the Rocky 

 mountains. I remember when the wharves and docks in 

 the city of Bangor, Maine, were filled almost mountain 

 high with lumber; and have seen acres on acres of rafts of 

 logs and lumber on the Penobscot and its tributaries, and 

 now that traffic has entirely ceased in that as well as other 

 eastern cities, and moved on to Pennsylvania. New York, 

 Wisconsin and Minnesota., These have or soon will trans- 

 fer their mills to Washington, Oregon or Alaska territories. 

 To those who say there is always enough of everything, 

 consequently there always will be, I may offer no reason or 

 argument for forest protection. But the history of the 

 world is before us, and as every violated law brings its pen- 

 alty, so every effort, or work in harmony with nature is sure 

 to bring its reward. And it makes no difference where or 

 how we commit the depredation nature will not submit 

 without striking back. 



America or our own United States, may never be put on 

 the list of countries ruined by forest destruction, for 

 we hope to gain wisdom by the experience of others before 

 it is too late. France, Austria, Russia, Switzerland and 

 Prussia, of European countries, are perhaps making greater 

 advances in forestry and tree planting than all other parts 

 of the world. In these, as well as some of the smaller king- 

 doms, government either owns or controls all of the timbered 

 lands. 



In Prussia there are twenty million acres of forests; and 

 of this, one-half is owned by the government. This brings 

 in an annual income of Sli,000,000 at an expense of 

 $7,500,000, leaving a net income of $0,500,000. 



They have schools of forestry, and in the kingdom two 

 regular academies. In Saxony they have 400,000 acres, 

 worked at an expense of $500,000; but they bring in a net 

 revenue of three dollars per acre. In Bavaria, the state 



