VAKIOUS NATIONAL SOCIETIES. 157 



The larger amount of forests are still in the hands of the government. 

 Present efforts should be directed to the maintenance of existing forests. After 

 this, earnest efforts should be made to plant new forests. Among the higher 

 ranges, the snow and rains make it easy to establish new forest growths. 

 When Colorado and other States and Territories can take care of their own 

 forests, then they should have charge of them, but meanwhile they should be 

 in the hands of the government. 



Mr. Burwell said that there was one form of government which could 

 accomplish great good, namely, the offering of rewards, or immunity from 

 taxes. 



FOKESTS AND WATER. 



The chairman, Mr. Minier, read a paper on the "Relation of Forests to Water 

 Supplies." He gave statistics showing how the planting of trees had affected 

 the climate of the surrounding country, and told of the devastations made by 

 fires and lumberman in New York and Pennsylvania. He thought that 20 per 

 cent, of our lands ought to be in forests. 



On motion the paper was ordered consolidated with the others which had 

 been read. 



After further discussion of the topics, Mr. W. N. Byers read an interesting 

 paper on, " How Best to Preserve the Rocky Mountain Forests." He thought 

 that more timber had been destroyed in Colorado last year than had been used 

 for five years before. He referred to the proposed changes in the timber cul- 

 ture and preemption acts. 



He showed the weak points in the proposed law, and the impossibility of its 

 being complied with as laid down. 



Considerable further discussion ensued, and the meeting took a recess shortly 

 after five o'clock. 



Evening Session, 



The evening session opened at 7:30. 



It was decided that the papers read be made a part of the proceedings as 

 they stand. Mr. Weltz offered a resolution to the effect that the number of 

 vice-presidents be increased from two to five. 



Referred to the committee on resolutions. 



On motion each delegation was requested to propose any resolutions they 

 might have to the committee on resolutions. 



Mr. Barnard complained that the osage orange had been taken from the 

 list of desirable trees. He wanted to know why it had been denounced, and 

 moved that it be the sense of this meeting that the osage orange be added to 

 th^ list of desirable trees for planting on the plains. 



Mr. Allen was willing to endorse all that had been said of the osage orange, 

 but thought that this way of getting at the question was not the right one. 

 The motion was laid on the table. 



The meeting then returned to the afternoon's discussion. Mr. W. N. Byers 

 gave some interesting facts regarding forest fires and the peculiarities of sec- 

 ond growth. 



Professor Bessey said that he had in his own mind formulated the results of 



