REPORT. 



That it is a matter of great importance to the people of 

 the United States to have a much fuller and more intelligent 

 knowledge of the subject of forestry, is a sentiment that 

 seems to be very rapidly gaining ground, not only among the 

 educators of the country but among the practical business 

 people of this busy land. 



In almost every one of the civilized countries of the old 

 world forestry has become an established science. It is 

 tauo-ht in their leadins; institutions of learning and is regarded 

 as an essential feature of a common education. But in this 

 country until within a very few years the forests were regarded 

 as the enemy of civilization, and our chief study has been, 

 how best to destroy instead of how best to preserve. 



A partial awakening has occurred however, and the national 

 government has begun a general investigation of the subject 

 and also several of the states have established forestry depart- 

 ments to investigate their individual needs, but as the soil, 

 climate, and general features of the several states are so 

 varied, the w^ork of other states seems to be of little assistance 

 to us. 



In several states it may be only an esthetic taste that leads 

 many people to interest themselves in the &ul)ject — a taste 

 that I fear is too much lacking among the majority of our 

 Maine people, as far as forest lands are concerned, simply 

 because beautiful wooded hills are too common to be fully 

 appreciated ; yet our practical business people should not 

 lose sight of the importance of preserving and maintaining 



