8 



A PRIMER OF FORESTRY. 



THE USES OF THE FOREST. 



A forest, large or small, ma}^ render its service in 

 many ways. It may reach its highest usefulness b}^ 

 standing as a safeguard against floods, winds, snow 

 slides, moving sands, or especially against the dearth 

 of water in the streams. A forest used in this way is 

 called a protection forest, and is usually found in the 

 mountains, or on bleak, open plains, or by the sea. 



Forests which protect the 

 headwaters of streams 

 L. -^^'Mm I ^^^^ fc)i' irrigation, and 



i*^ '^^fS^ ^ many of the larger wind- 



breaks of the Western 

 plains, are protection for- 

 ests. The Adirondack and 

 Catskill woodlands were re- 

 garded as protection forests 

 by the people of the State of 

 New York when they for- 

 bade, in the constitution of 

 1 895 , the f elling,destruction , 

 or removal of any trees from 

 the State Forest Preserve. 

 A farmer living directly on the produce of his land 

 would And his woodlot most useful to him when it 

 supplied the largest amount of wood for his peculiar 

 needs, or the best grazing for his cattle. A railroad 

 holding land which it did not wish to sell would per- 

 haps find it most useful when it produced the greatest 

 number of ties and bridge timbers. In both cases the 

 forest would render its best service by producing the 



Fig. 1.— Alpine hemlock in a pro 

 tection forest. Cascade Moun 

 tains, Washington. 



