1885.] GOVERNMENT TIMBER LANDS. 29 



once as lias been the usage with tlie forests. The trees sliould Le 

 sold by Government officers, who should be known as Forest 

 Conservators, and the trees should be felled under their direction 

 and in such a manner as not to injure the young and growing trees, 

 and the place made vacant should l)e planted at once, so that the 

 forest should be kept well stocked and in a growing, thrifty 

 condition all the while. This is the way the Government forests 

 are managed in Europe, and they are thus made an important source 

 of revenue, while at the same time they are made the safeguards of 

 ]niblic health, and promoters of the general welfare in many ways. 

 So well satisfied are the people of the wisdom of this management, 

 so convinced of the great importance to their welfare of an adequate 

 supply of trees, that the tendency is continually to increase the area 

 of land devoted permanently to tree-growth instead of diminishing 

 it, notwithstanding the increase of population would tend to make 

 inroads upon the forests in order to obtain additional land for tillage 

 purposes. The people have become convinced that the most success- 

 ful and remunerative tillage cannot be had without the aid and 

 protection which the forests afford, while the trees are their best 

 security against floods and droughts and devastating torrents. 



Having thus ascertained what portion of our timber lands ought 

 to be maintained in the forest condition, and taken measures for its 

 preservation as such, the rest might be offered for sale outright as 

 our lands have been in time past, or the timber only might, in this 

 case also, be sold, as it is in Canada, no trees beins: allowed to be 

 cut that are of less than a certain diameter, and the land itself 

 remaining still the property of the Government. 



Such, it seems to me, is the value, and such should be the 

 management, of the Government timber lands. Such a view of the 

 subject implies a change, as has Ijeen seen, in the dealing of the 

 Government in respect to its property in lands. It implies an 

 increased expenditure in watching, protecting, and disposing properly 

 of its timber lands. But there is no property of the Government 

 so valuable as this, and therefore so well deserving of expenditure 

 for its protection and preservation. There is no property of the 

 Government the care and protection of which will bring so large a 

 return of profit to the State and of benefit to the people. It is 

 estimated that the value of the annual products of our forests is not 

 less than 800,000,000 dols., outmeasuring the value of our great 

 cereal crop, that of corn ; more than that of our crops of hay, rye, 

 oats, barley, buckwheat, potatoes, and tobacco taken together, and 

 ten times that of all our mines of gold and silver. Can we be too 

 considerate or too liberal in expenditure for the care and preservation 

 of such interests ? 



