We must remember that at this time there was no development 

 of the natural sciences, and little was understood of the real value 

 or of the growth and history of the development of forests. With 

 the advance in the natural sciences, the true nature of the forest and 

 its relation to man was first vinderstood and appreciated. The many 

 difterent beneficial aspects came to be studied and valued as the 

 supply of forests was constantly being diminished, and some of these 

 beneficent influences were discovered when, through forest devasta- 

 tion, the disastrous results were only too clearly shown. These 

 forest influences, now well known, may be classified under three 

 groups or divisions, namely : economic influences, biologic influ- 

 ences and [esthetic influences. 

 Economic. 



Next to our need for food and water, the need for timber is most 

 pressing. If you do not or have not realized this, eliminate for a 

 moment from our every day life all articles made from wood or from 

 wood products, and you will at once be convinced of the truth of this 

 assertion. 



Our wood using industries, in this country alone, pay wages to 

 more than 1.500,000, and represent a permanent investment of some 

 $2,250,000,000 ; while the products are valued at over $3,000,000,000 

 annually. 



For every 1000 board feet of lumber cut in the woods, $20 is put 

 into circulation, on the average, and of this f goes for labor and 

 supplies. 



We have some 550,000,000 acres of forest land in this country, 

 and only about i of this is publicly owned by the States and the 

 Federal Government. On that owned by the governments, forestry 

 is practiced on over 75% ; while it is practiced on less than 1% of 

 that privately owned, or an average of less than 18% for the whole 

 area. 



The average growth per acre is estimated at about 12 cubic feet, 

 or some 7 billion cubic feet for the U. S., while the annual cut is 

 known to be 23 billion cubic feet, or more than 40 cubic feet per 

 acre, with an average consumption of 260 cubic feet per capita, 

 as compared with 37 for Germany and 25 for France ! 



We export one and one-half times as much as we import in this 

 country. The species of the most economic importance, in the 

 order of their importance are as follows: Yellow pine, Douglass 

 fir. White pine. Oak, Hemlock, Spruce, and the states in which this 

 industry is most important are: Washington, Louisiana, Texas, 

 Mississippi, Wisconsin, Arkansas, (Maine 16th). In mature forests 

 growth is balanced by decay, so that there is no advance in value, 

 excepting through a rise in the stumpage price. 



More than 100 million acres are burned over annually, and the loss 

 is some 50 lives and over $50 million per annum since 1870 on an 



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