33 



PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



Mason B. Thomas. 



Forestry ix Indiana. 



It seems strauge that while European countries, with their vast tracts 

 of forests, were spending money, energy and time in an effort to secure 

 a conservative and economical management of their timber lands and, in 

 most cases, had brought the whole question to a very practical and wise 

 solution resulting in the maintenance of the steady value of the forest 

 crop and securing by careful and well managed cutting the largest possi- 

 ble yearly production and revenue, the United States did practically noth- 

 ing to arouse her citizens to some such rational forestry management. It 

 was not until 187.3 that the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, at it.s Portland meeting, appointed a committee to urge Congress 

 to some action in connection with our forestry interests. The recommen- 

 dations of this committee were favorably received, but not until 187G was 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture required to appoint a man to study our 

 forestry resources, the consumption and exportation of our timber, the ex- 

 tent of our supply, the effects of forests on our climate and the best 

 methods to employ in conserving them. Since that time the work of the 

 r>epartment at Washington has grown under the care of Messrs. F. B. 

 Hough. X. H. Eggleston, B. E. Fernow, and the present l^orester, Mr. G. 

 Pinchot. who in the order named have been in charge of it. They have, 

 witli very meager appropriations— to 1899 but $247,216.85 — collected and 

 published a large amount of valuable information relating to our forests, 

 their use. care and abuse, and have secured the cooperation of many pub- 

 lic-spirited men and not a few scientists, wlio have started, in many 

 States, active campaigns educating the public in forestry matters and se- 

 curing proper forestry legislation. Our federal government can not obtain 

 the desired results without the active coiiperation of the States and the 

 supi)ort of its private citizens. Our own fair Indiana has been very remiss 

 in the discharge of her duties in this matter, and the neglect has resulted 

 in a great loss to our timber interests and the consequent injury to its 

 numerous dependencies. 



The State of Indiana is a part of the North Central Division of our 

 country and includes .36,3-50 square miles, witli an acreage of 23.264.0(Xt. 



3— Academy of Science. 



