26 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



every one; and yet there is danger that in many places, from false 

 motives of immediate economy, no provision be made for the wants 

 of future generations." 



Notwithstanding this warning, made public through the leg- 

 islature of one of the states, the general government continued 

 permitting speculators to get possession of its valuable timber 

 lands at nominal prices, knowing full well that they were taken for 

 the sole purpose of denuding them of their forest growth. It is 

 fifty-five years since that warning was sounded, and it is within 

 that period that the states of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin 

 and Minnesota have been robbed of the timber which should have 

 been held by the government for the use of the people. We of 

 course realize that there could not have been that material devel- 

 opment of the country we have witnessed within the past half 

 century were it not for the timber which has been worked into 

 so many forms for our use and comfort, but had there been greater 

 care exercised in cutting and the young growth protected the man- 

 ufacturers of Ohio and Indiana would not now be importing hard- 

 wood lumber, and the states of Michigan and Wisconsin would 

 not have so many idle mills and deserted towns. 



We have examples in this, and in European countries, of for- 

 est protection and economical disposition of timber by govern- 

 ments and individuals. There are farms in many states having 

 "woodlots" which for a hundred years or more have been a con- 

 stant source of supply to their owners, and yet there is no appa- 

 rent diminution in the quantity of standing timber. There is no 

 doubt that timber can be profitably cultivated on lands unsuited for 

 agricultural purposes, but this requires years of care. 



Never in the history of the world was there such a demand for 

 lumber of all kinds as now, and this demand is constantly increas- 

 ing, while the supply is steadily decreasing. The largest demand 

 for any one purpose is that for the manufacture of wood boxes or 

 packing cases, which is almost double that for buildings. It is 

 plain to see the inevitable end if something is not done to protect 

 the forests we have left and to reforest the denuded lands. 



The state of New York sold its lands in the Adirondacks at 

 prices ranging from eight to fifteen cents per acre, and is now re- 

 purchasing it, after the valuable timber has been removed, at one 

 to one and a half dollars per acre, for a forest reserve. Pennsyl- 

 vania also has awakened to the necessity of preserving the forests, 

 and has created a "Forest Commission," which has already pur- 

 chased several thousands of acres for the same purpose. Our own 



