VI PREFACE 



nadian Indian lost in the wilds of the inhospitable north- 

 land. The author vividly remembers the time when the num- 

 ber of books printed in English that were devoted chiefly 

 to a discussion of the principles and practice of forestry as 

 applicable to American conditions, could be counted with 

 one bout of the fingers. However, with this inadequate 

 supply of equipment, comparable to the single mechanical 

 device possessed by the Indian, there went a resourcefulness 

 of nature and a persistency of spirit that has effected a mar- 

 velous development within less than a score of years from 

 the first announcement that an American university would 

 give a full course in the science and practice of forestry. 

 To-day there are courses leading to degrees in forestry in 

 many universities and almost monthly one or more books 

 are added to the long list of publications now available to 

 the student of this fascinating subject. The individual 

 forester is no longer required to devise and construct his 

 equipment but, in pushing forward to new fields of accom- 

 plishment, he may use the means contributed by the efforts 

 of others. 



Yet in one field and, in the opinion of the writer, a field 

 of the greatest importance to the profession nothing has 

 been published other than pamphlets and circulars for the 

 information of the public as to statutes regarding fire, tres- 

 pass and reforestation laws. In the field of forest law there 

 is available to the American forester almost nothing in the 

 form of practical and convenient equipment. Without 

 tools any artisan is handicapped; without books for guid- 

 ance and reference a forester cannot find the time to con- 

 tribute to the further development of his profession. 



It was with the purpose of saving others, as well as him- 

 self, the laborious task of "looking-up" the law in widely 

 scattered places each time that a specific question in forest 

 law arose, that the author undertook the work of bringing 

 together into a volume of convenient size the essentials of 

 American forest law. 



For a long time subsequent to the formation of a purpose 

 to prepare such a compilation and discussion of the law, the 

 writer found no opportunity to begin the work. In fact 

 the material for the book now published has been gathered 

 chiefly during the early morning hours and the late evenings 



