MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 471 



nnmerous points are sought from every quarter pertaining to the subject, 

 and there are very few or none to give sound instruction. 



Over a hundred years ago, some one or more persons in Europe were 

 foolish ( '?) enough to plant a few white pines from North America. In 

 the language of our time they would be known as " cranks," and yet who 

 shall dare place a sufficiently high estimate on the value of that simple 

 experiment, for it has demonstrated that our white pine is one of the best 

 of trees to grow for timber in that country. A much shorter time would 

 have been insufficient for the trial. We need many men in every county 

 of every state who will have enthusiasm and foresight enough to plant a 

 few trees in places where there may be a prospect for growth a long time 

 without molestation. Before these experiments are completed there will 

 be many anxiously waiting to profit by the results. 



We live in a comparatively new country where many of our fathers and 

 grandfathers cut, logged and burned the finest of trees to make room for 

 wheat, corn, potatoes and pasture. AVe have been taught to destroy trees 

 and not to save them — much less to replant. Very naturally there is 

 great indifPerence in most neighborhoods of our country. 



The arguments for preserving the virgin forests of a new country are by 

 no means all on one side, and no one should expect the trees to be preserved. 

 In most cases the profits of holding are too small to pay for the investment. 



Michigan once had about 150,000,000,000 feet board measure of standing 

 pine which was believed to be well nigh inexhaustible. Those now living 

 are witnessing the remaining comparatively small tracts in the back coun- 

 ties. Even with what might be considered good management in a thinly 

 inhabited country, where lumber was cheap, it was soon found next to 

 impossible to preserve this timber, however much the owner might desire 

 to do so. In many seasons the fires destroyed as much pine as the wood- 

 man's ax. Dead pines must be cut to save them, and the debris was 

 almost sure to burn and the fire spread to the standing trees. To some 

 extent the same condition of things prevail with regard to the "hard wood," 

 or deciduous-leaved trees, those in most cases these are not so likely to be 

 destroyed by fires. In a business way, there are men now spending much 

 time and money in defending their remaining pine lands from fire, and this 

 is done single handed at their own expense. Still more system is needed 

 and the care should be more general than it ever has been. 



"The study of European methods and results in forestry by competent 

 men is, of course, highly valued, but it is not enough. It is not even the 

 most important thing for us. Nothing can be very useful to us which is 

 not based upon careful study of the parts and conditions which are pecu- 

 liar to this country. We should have in time a system of American for- 

 estry. — we must have it, indeed, if we are to avoid serious disasters 

 to our national interests and civilization. We cannot import and adopt 

 ready-made European systems or methods. The forestry of this country 

 must be the product of growth, which has yet scarcely begun. It will be 

 developed by continued and wide-spread observation, and by constant 

 comparison of the results of practice. It is necessary to remind ourselves 

 that no useful system of forest management can be originated or created 

 by legislative enactment. There must be considerable special knowledge 

 and considerable national good sense regarding the needs of this country, 

 behind forestry laws, or they will be not only useless, but mischievous." 

 Garden and Forest, Vol. 1, p. 26. 



It is important to understand the value of great areas of growing trees 



