32 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of forest lands and in methods of utilising forest products 

 should be promoted in every practicable way.' " 



A similar resolution was passed at the annual meeting of the 

 American Forestry Association which pointed out : — 



•' That the establishment of an effective practice of 

 forestry in this country depends upon a knowledge of the 

 life and growth of our trees, and the characteristics 

 of their products, and both scientific research in the 

 laboratory and field experiment are needed to gain this 

 knowledge." 



That this kind of propaganda carries considerable weight in 

 high places is evidenced by the fact that the President of the 

 United States, who delivered an address before the National 

 Agricultural Conference in January of this year (the meeting at 

 which the first of the above resolutions was passed), made special 

 reference to the needs of forestry. The first great impulse was 

 given to American forestry by President Roosevelt during his 

 tenure of the Presidentship, when he caused 180,000,000 acres 

 of forest land that had not yet been alienated to be set aside 

 as a national forest reserve. Since then the development of a 

 National Forest Policy and of Forestry Education and Research 

 has been proceeded with uninterruptedly, and is marked by a 

 vigour unknown in the history of the older countries. The main 

 achievement of American forestry is, however, the success that 

 has attended the efforts of the leaders of the conservation 

 movement in infusing into the national mind the ideas with 

 which they themselves are inspired. At first there was a good 

 deal of hostility shown to the forestry movement, chiefly as the 

 result of agitation on the part of individuals and corporations 

 opposed to the new ideas, because of the alarm they felt for 

 the vested interests which they happened to represent; but in 

 recent years public opinion has been steadily rallying to the 

 side of the conservationists, who have the assurance that their 

 efforts to secure the inauguration of a new and better order of 

 things have not been in vain. 



