94 North American Forests and Forestry 



the original forest are of different and inferior spe- 

 cies. Where the comparatively valueless poplars 

 and white birches or the despised jack pine have 

 taken the place of white pine, there is a distinct 

 loss of natural wealth. Still worse is the frequent 

 case where, instead of young trees of vigorous 

 growth, that in course of time promise a good crop 

 of lumber, no matter of what species, scattered 

 clumps of scrubby brushwood cover the land. All 

 these conditions are found in the woodlands of 

 the present, where the original forest has been 

 cut ; and unfortunately the first case seems to be 

 the rarest. 



As far as the eastern and much of the Pacific 

 coast forest zones are concerned, it is self-evident 

 that, under any circumstances whatsoever, the first 

 necessity of civilized man in peopling this country 

 was to get rid of the trees. In distinction from 

 the prairie country and the Rocky Mountain for- 

 ests, trees covered practically all the land. There 

 would have been no room for men to dwell in, no 

 room for cities and villages, no room for tilled fields, 

 in other words, no chance for civilized life, if the 

 settlers had not waged relentless war against the 

 forest. This condition still exists in those regions 

 east of the Mississippi where settlement is now go- 

 ing on, as in Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and 

 Minnesota, as well as in parts of the South. Here 

 the first necessity of the settlers still is to destroy 

 the forest and to make farms in its place. This 

 will continue to be the case as long as there are 



