154 



jurious and beneficial of forests ; the educational means by M'hich we may become ac- 

 quainted with Forestry work. To what extent can the land-owner enter profitably upon 

 the business of tree-planting and forest culture 1 What legislation can the States best 

 adopt for the increase and preservation of their forests 1 Bow shall the General Govern- 

 ment provide for the planting of forests on its public lands 1 What is the precise extent 

 of forest waste 1 What is the comparative value of various timber trees 1 How shall we 

 secure wind-breaks on the prairies ? By what chemical processes can we preserve our 

 timber used in building and fencing? What forest trees are best adapted to various 

 localities 1 — these are questions which should be answered as definitely as possible. They 

 are questions which tlie American people are anxious to have answered, and before which 

 all discussion of foreign legislation, all consideration of the value of wood products, all 

 statistics of trade, all study of land tenure, sink into insignificance. I trust the deliber- 

 ations of this convention will point the way by which these problems can be solved, and 

 by which our vast forest wealth can be economically preserved and profitably used. 



At the close of this eloquent address, which was listened to with marked attention 

 throughout, the orchestra provided for the occasion furnished some excellent music, 

 closing with " God Save the Queen." 



April 26th. 



The Congress commenced at 10 a. m. 



The following communication ivom Richard Yon Steuben, Royal Chief Forester of 

 the German Empire, was read. 



Falkenburgh, near Dommitzsch, District of Torgau, 



March 11, 1882. 



Most Honored Sir, — I thank you most sincerely for your cordial invitation to 

 the opening exercises of the National Forestry Association. It is, however, to my greatest 

 regret, impossible for me to accept the same. Irrespective of all personal considerations, 

 I am bound here by the onerous duties of my position as an officer of the King ; for a 

 trip so far and time consuming, I would have to crave leave of absence of the Minister, 

 which I cannot do so soon after the long leave of absence given me last fall, especially 

 not during the planting season, when the superintending oflicer can least be spared. 



I regret most exceedingly that I cannot attend the opening exercises, since it is 

 certain that your Association will be productive of much good to the whole country. 

 During my stay in the United States last fall I had occasion to discuss the question of 

 the rapidly growing necessity of introducing a regulated Forest Government in order to 

 prevent future calamities which must undoubtedly result fi-om a reckless destruction of 

 the forests. Even the Honorable Secretary of the Interior, at Washington, honoured 

 me with a consultation on the subject. 



There can be no doubt that every country requires a certain quantity of well stocked 

 woods, not only to supply the demands for bviilding material and fuel, but more especially 

 to secure suitable meteorological conditions, to preserve the fertility of the soil, and out 

 of sanitary considerations. The ratio of the minimum quantity and judicious local dis- 

 tribution of the indispensable forest to the aggregate area cannot be expressed by a 

 universal rule, but the same can only be approximated by scientific investigation. Above 

 all things, it is essential to prevent forest destruction where such would injuriously 

 aflfect the fertility of the soil. It is important, then, to preserve and to cultivate 

 judiciously those forests which stand at the head-waters and on the banks of the larger 

 streams, because through their indiscriminate destruction fluctuations in the stage of water, 

 sandbars, and inundations of arable lands arc occasioned. It appears also necessary to 

 preserve and properly to cultivate woods in quicksands, or the summits and ridges, as well 

 as on the steep sides of mountains, along the sea coasts, and other exposed localities. 



In Germany, and especially in ray more narrow bounded fatherland, Prussia, it is 

 regarded as of the greatest importance, not only to preserve the forests already there, but 

 to extend them as much as possible. 



