470 STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



improved at the expense of the governmeut, though much of the land 

 belonged to communities. 



A chief director of forests in Germany, in writing to the United States 

 Consul, says: "You are certainly quite right when you speak of the 

 importance of forest culture for the United States, but allow me to express 

 my belief that no earnest work in that direction will be accomplished there. 

 The culture of the forests proceeds too slowly to suit your countrymen, and 

 the profits are not forthcoming soon enough. In my opinion good results 

 from forest culture can only be had in the United States when the govern- 

 ment shall have taken the matter into its own hands." See reports from 

 the Consuls of the United States on Forestry in Europe, 1887. 



Dr. Otto von Hagen says: " The forest is a trust handed down to us 

 from past ages, whose value consists not alone in the income derived from 

 wood, but also in the importance which it exerts, through its influence on 

 climate and rainfall, or land culture. Its importance is not merely a ques- 

 tion of the present day or of the present ownership, but is also a matter 

 which concerns the future welfare of the people." For these and other 

 reasons, it then becomes a duty to interfere by legislation. 



Think of the time required to grow trees of certain species fit to cut for 

 important purposes! In Germany the age for cutting oaks is 150 to 180 

 years; beach, 100 to 120 years; Scotch fir ol.- birch, 80 to 100 years. For 

 some purposes of course trees are cut when much younger. In the report 

 of our consul to France in 1S87, he observes that "Forests are much more 

 easily destroyed than replaced, for in three years, from 1788 to 1791, almost 

 as large an area in France was deforested as has been reforested in the 

 last ninety years, although much attention has been paid to the subject 

 during this time." 



The older and more thickly settled countries of Europe have all passed 

 through the stage in which many of our states have but recently passed or 

 are now passing. Their land in most instances was well covered with for- 

 ests. They cut and fired and wasted as we are doing, and have long been 

 aware of many of the evil effects of this practice. 



To what extent shall we learn and profit by their mistakes? 



Under the circumstances what can the people of the United States 

 accomplish? In what ways can we best secure a reform in forest manage- 

 ment? Legislation in state and nation will accomplish little, until there 

 are enough stalwart persons thoroughly interested to continue under 

 adverse conditions to work for the success of a better management of lands 

 in forests or lands which ought to be covered with forests. 



Something may be done by forest commissions, but too much is likely 

 to be expected of them, and, to save expenses, somebody will advocate their 

 abolition — and somebody will sooner or later usually succeed. The value of 

 forestry commissions consists largely in giving advice and in educating the 

 people. Interest will flag for a while, and again revive. 



Tree planting on a large and expensive scale is not likely soon to be skill- 

 fully conducted so that satisfactory profits will be apparent. But, notwith- 

 standing, trees of every kind, in a great variety of ways and in many places, 

 should be planted, and the sooner the better for us all. Probably not one 

 in a thousand, nor one in ten thousand, now knows enough about the sub- 

 ject to proceed intelligently to take the best care of his forest or to 

 reclothe the land with forest in the most economical manner. Those who 

 try the experiment should be able and expect to wait. Information on 



