176 



of an inch thick with the most profound respect. He did not know what they did in 

 Canada, but he thought none of those lands which are unfit for the cultivation of anything 

 else except trees should be occupied, and the Government should protect them just as well 

 as they protect the most valuable agricultural lands. Let the Government declare, that 

 all forest lands unfit for cultivation shall remain the property of the Government, who 

 shall derive only such a revenue from them as shall not exhaust them. Then with regard 

 to forest fires. He had studied the matter with great care, and the first thing we should 

 do is to create a right of forest lands, and then infuse such an inpouring of opinion, that 

 the settler will understand the value of forests, and understand that bush heaps or dead 

 grass should be properly cleared up before setting fire to. It was only the other day 

 that a man in one of the Eastern States with a farm valued at $60,000 or $70,000, and 

 with a house upon it fully equal to an English manor-house, had it nearly destroyed by 

 fire. Two little boys started the fire in fun and swam across the stream to get out of the 

 way, and if it had not been for the courage and energy displayed by that man's wife, his 

 place would have been completely destroyed. Yet, this was what settlers were doing 

 every day, but, let him understand that a piece of land that is burnt over is more than 

 half killed, and he will be more careful and preserve it. Nature was always restoring 

 forests, and would do her share of the work if we would give her an opportunity. He 

 had seen abandoned farms in the Eastern States which were growing up fine trees, and 

 these would render them more valuable than they were before. From the ofiicial reports 

 of the department at Washington, he took the following statement, showing the number 

 of feet of pine at present in the undermentioned States, and the number of years it would 

 last, at the rate they were now cutting it : — 



STATE. 



Texas 



Florida 



Alabama 



Mississippi 



Minnesota 



Michigan 



Wisconsin 



North Carolina 



Louisiana 



Georgia 



Pennsylvania pine 



" hemlock . 

 Arkansas . 



Number of feet 

 of pine. 



21,508,000,000 



6,615,000,000 



18,885,000,000 



17,200,000,000 



6,100,000,000 



29,000.000,000 



41,000,000,000 



5,229,000,000 



48,213,000,000 



16,778,000,000 



1,800,000,000 



4,500,000,000 



41,325,000,000 



No. of years. 



California ... I 25,825,000,000 



South Carolina 



Maine, pine and spruce. 



3,310,000,000 

 5,000,000,000 



300 

 30 

 70 



150 



10 



7 



20 



50 



540 



75 



5 



15 



320 



100 

 27 

 16 



New Hampshire does not return a pine tree of any kind, but returned 1,500,000,000 

 feet of black spruce, which will all be gone in ten years at the present rate of cutting. 



