Destruction and Deterioration 93 



While, therefore, no grounds exist for the fear 

 sometimes expressed that our posterity will know 

 nothing of forests, nor the multitude of beautiful 

 and ennobling influences radiating upon civilized 

 men from woodland scenes and woodland life, 

 still the fact exists that, taking the country as a 

 whole, the disappearance of forests has reached 

 that point where, in the interest of our national 

 welfare, it should stop. And what is still more 

 important, the character of our remaining forests 

 is rapidly deteriorating in economic value. The 

 place of old and valuable timber, capable of sup- 

 porting our enormous lumber industries, is being 

 taken by species of inferior value. White pine, 

 the king of lumber trees, has almost gone, as 

 far as its capacity is concerned to furnish the 

 whole country with lumber and send a surplus 

 to foreign parts. Black walnut, once exceedingly 

 abundant in many sections of the country, some 

 time ago became so rare and expensive that its use 

 for furniture making has been largely abandoned. 

 Hickory, on the use of which the world-wide fame 

 of American " buggies " and other vehicles was 

 based, threatens to follow the example of its cousin, 

 the black walnut. Thousands of square miles that 

 were once covered with tall and thick trees of great 

 age, fit to be converted into the best kind of lum- 

 ber, show to-day nothing but young growth of trees 

 that will not be ripe for market in a great many 

 years. Even that is the best and most desirable 

 case. Far oftener the trees which have succeeded 



