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their timber, and others having been blessed with such 

 a store that it still remained in great quantities, but 

 was slowly but surely diminishing. In North America 

 and Canada the forests were being greatly diminished ; 

 but the most melancholy case was that of the West 

 Indies, for there the destruction of forests meant not 

 only the loss of a source of material wealth but also 

 permanent injury to the climate and the fertility of the 

 soil. This destructive process had not hitherto been 

 visible in Australia, because the forests there were so 

 far inland that destructive agencies could not reach 

 them. But if ever a reckless destruction of Australian 

 forests should commence it would be fraught with the 

 greatest danger to the community. The great problem 

 of the future for Australia was the water supply in the 

 centre of the island, and that problem could only be 

 met by carefully preserving the forests near the sources 

 of the scanty, Australian rivers. For the practice of 

 forestry there were three chief reasons — first, the 

 extension of the national wealth ; second, the retention 

 of moisture in the soil ; and, third, the moderation of 

 of the climate. Sir Richard looked upon the judicious 

 use of forests as analogous to the employment of 

 interest and capital, the same principles applying to 

 both ; aud he also observed that, if forests which had 

 disappeared could not be replaced by properly con- 

 ducted arboriculture, many new trees could be natura- 

 lised or acclimatised in a country. Adequate provision 

 for the instruction of forestry was wanted, for the 



