172 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
During the heat of the agitation, I went to Washington to represent 
Minnesota at the meeting, on Dec. 29th and 30th, of the American 
Forestry Association. 'This enabled me to learn what methods should be 
employed to establish in the United States the forest reserve system. In 
a conventional body we appeared hefore President Harrison, stating our 
objects through Judge Higley, of New York. The president expressed 
his hearty sympathy with our movement, averring that the time had 
come when it was necessary to do something to save the remnants of our 
great forests from further destruction, and referred us to the Secretary of 
the Interior. We found the secretary a pronounced and determined sup- 
porter of the reserve system. We also appeared before the commissioner 
of the general land office and other officials,and found but one opinion pre- 
vailing, and that is, that something practical must be done immediately to 
protect the sources of our water systems, preserve our valuable varieties of 
' trees, and the game and fish, on which all the people depend. We discov- 
ered, to a positive certainty, that the chief hindrance to success is, not at 
Washington, but at home among the people who have been mislead by 
designing syndicates. With renewed energy the friends of forestry have 
entered upon the herculean task before us. New York takes the lead. 
If we of Minnesota are vigilant at this momentous hour,. we can have our 
great reserve without any cost to the state. New York let go her oppor- 
tunity; the Adirondacks passed into syndicate hands to the serious loss 
of the feeders to the Hudson and other rivers, and to the injury of agri- 
culture in the valleys; and now the friends of forestry there are obliged 
to besiege the legislature of New York to buy back 3,000,000 acres of those 
mountain lands at a great cost. Will Minnesota profit by the experience 
of New York, or indifferently part with her birthright to feather another 
plutocratic nest? 
But to the methods. Among the forestry papers soon to go over the 
country is this address to the press, which as you willsee, covers the work 
in hand. 
THE FOREST RESERVE SYSTEM. 
‘The object of the proposed forest reserve system set forth in the memo- 
rial recently presented to President Harrison by the American Forestry 
Association, is as follows: 
“Tt is not the object to withdraw these lands absolutely from occupation 
or use, but rather to increase their usefulness and the sum total of the 
productiveness of the territory, making each acre do its utmost for the 
benefit of our people. 
‘‘In the case of these reservations it is the purpose; 
‘To minimizethe destruction of forest areas by fires and the wasteful 
and erroneous methods of forestry use now prevalent. 
“To maintain and increase the lumber industry by a permanent and con- 
tinuous yield of forest products on non-agricultural lands which, under 
the present methods are laid waste by fires, and made less productive. 
‘To promote railroading and wood-manufacturing industries by provid- 
ing constant and increasing supplies of the raw material from cultivated 
forests ; creating a home market for labor and supplies at these manufac- 
tories. 
‘*To cultivate and develop new growths of valuable timber wherever the 
matured trees are cut for the market. 
