3i8 



ARBORICULTURE. 



It is evident that Congress has no 

 eorest poeicy, no desire to perpetuate 

 American forests, has no interest in 

 the vast needs oe future generations 

 in eumber or the influence of the 

 forest upon the country. 



In a few years the manufacturers will 

 be seeking in vain for lumber with which 

 to keep their workmen and machinery 

 employed. The vehicle makers will be 

 obliged to use metal where the cheaper 

 and better woods are now employed, and 

 the 'builders will rely upon concrete and 

 metals to a far greater extent than at 

 present. 



WIEE THE EUROPEAN FORESTRY METHODS 

 PREVAIIv? 



The demand for lumber is so much 

 greater than the annual increase o'f 

 growth that under the most favorable 

 conditions the forest area must be greatly 

 reduced each year, hence some other 

 policy must be adopted to supplement the 

 native forests. 



In a natural forest, except in a few in- 

 s.tances, various species of timber are 

 present, some O'f value, a majority of in- 

 ferior worth. The trees invariably are 

 so irregularly placed that economy of 

 space is not considered. Nature never 

 plants an orchard. In a majority of 

 woodlands the more valuable trees re- 

 quire from 150 to 600 or more years to 

 grow. Hence, when the present supply 

 has become exhausted, from eight to ten 

 generations of men will be without tim- 

 ber before the trees now started into 

 growth will 'become useful. 



The true forest policy for the United 

 States, and possibly other nations, in ad- 

 dition to the protection of native forests, 

 is, to plami trees by the millions, selecting 

 such species and varieties as will mature 

 during the present generation. 



A forest properly planted, with a sys- 



tem most economical o'f space, will pro- 

 duce from two to five times as much tim- 

 ber as where planted by birds, animals 

 and the wind, as is .provided by nature. 



If, in addition to this, selection is made 

 oi tree species of great value, then the 

 question of future timiber supply will be 

 solved. 



The following declaration of the Col- 

 orado Forestry Association is fully ap- 

 proved by Arboriculture: 



PLATFORM OF THE COLORADO STATE FORESTRY 

 ASSOCIATION RELATIVE TO THE GOV- 

 ERNMENT FOREST POLICY. 



Whereas, We believe that the forest-reserve 

 law of 1891 ; and that under it the setting apart 

 of forests at the headwaters of our moun- 

 tain streams for conserving snow and moist- 

 ure and to regulate the stream-flow of rivers 

 and creeks, and that tlie organizing of a forest 

 service capable of handling so stupendous an 

 undertaking, that, taken all in all, these things 

 mark an important era in the history of na- 

 tional forestry work and command our atten- 

 tion ; and. 



Whereas, We believe that in organizing 

 the various and multitudinous national forests 

 throughout the semi-arid West by appointing 

 a supervisor for each, and under him forest 

 rangers, numbering in Colorado about one hun- 

 dred and fifty men, to guard the reserves 

 against fires and illegal trespass, and at an ex- 

 pense of about $150,000 annually put the forests 

 in belter condition to supply timber and lumber 

 for our varied wants ; and that in adopting cer- 

 tain restrictions and making charges for busi- 

 ness occupancy, timber and grazing, in order 

 to make the forest service self-supporting, it 

 is thereby adopting a wise policy; and. 



Whereas, The forest service is manifesting 

 an intelligent purpose, with a clear foresight 

 of what should be done, and vigorously prose- 

 cuting the work it has undertaken to do ; there- 

 fore, 



Resolved, First — That we, the directors of 

 the Colorado State Forestry Association, be- 

 lieve that any and all persons, companies or 

 corporations enjoying the products of the re- 

 serves, or their use for grazing, the occupancy 

 of the land for power plants and other similar 



