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lack of attention in the preservation and cultivation of forests, even for 

 their own good aside from the good of science. Forestry is a subject of 

 very recent agitation in America and especially is it so in Indiana, but it 

 is growing steadily. 



President Roosevelt voices this condition of the knowledge of forestry 

 in the opening sentence of his message bearing on the subject. He says. 

 "Public opinion throughout the United States lias moved steadily toward 

 a just appreciation of the value of forests." Trusting that you all are 

 familiar with wliat he says about forestry in his message, I shall, express- 

 ing my appreciation for such eminent recogiiition of it, pass to the dis- 

 cussion of the connective phases mentioned at the beginning. 



Forestry as a science issue, it seems to me, is far-reaching in its 

 influences. I think with consistent reason it can be shown that there is 

 scarcelj^ an industrial or intellectual life which forestry does not affect 

 directly or indirectly. 



Geography and forestry are closely connected in matters of climate, 

 drainage and surface contour. Forests by their presence have marked 

 influences on climate in governing the phenomena of temperature, moisture 

 and storms. It is asserted by students of the subject that the denudation 

 of forests is the cause <ff the growing extremes of temperature, violent 

 atmospheric changes, changed precipitation, moisture waste through 

 heightened evaporation and the unhindered flow over tlie surface to the 

 streams. 



The arguments are: First, the forest foliage, as a transpiratory agent. 

 is a great source of moisture to the atmosphere; second, the foliage by 

 its shade prevents the sun's rays from striking the earth's surface and 

 thus prevents evaporation; third, the forest litter, humus and roots, col- 

 lect, hold and store the rainfall for the gradual and constant resource of 

 water for streams and springs; fourth, the lack of forest litter, humus and 

 roots permits the rainfall to flow quickly over the sm-face to the streams 

 and away, thus facilitating the diying up of springs and streams and re- 

 stricting the climatic agents. 



In addition to the facts stated above, deforestation means the uninter- 

 rupted sway of the Avinds to carry destruction with them and allows the 

 ^un's rays unbroken to overheat the surface and cause abnormal atmos- 

 liheric conditions resulting in violent storms. 



I need only to remind you that the climatic equilibrium is different 

 from ten years ago. The temperature extremes for the year 188G were 



