260 North American Forests and Forestry 



leave its permanency assured, but even increase its 

 vigor and value. 



Thus we were led to consider the reasons why 

 the methods of silvicultural forestry had not yet 

 been more widely adopted in this country. There 

 we concluded that conditions dependent on the ac- 

 tion of legislation and government arose as obstacles 

 in the way of private enterprise in this direction. 

 Here we arrived at one of the most obvious reasons 

 why such a book as this has a right to exist and a 

 work to perform : Legislation depends upon pub- 

 lic opinion, and public opinion must be created and 

 instructed by just such means as this. 



May this little book do its share in creating this 

 necessary instrument for the solution of the forestry 

 problem. Democracy, which was born in America 

 and was the first great contribution of the western 

 hemisphere to civilization, is entering upon a new 

 epoch, in which it will be subjected to new and tre- 

 mendous tests before it can be definitely upheld as 

 a practicable scheme for the organization of a great 

 nation. Until now the test has not been a fair one, 

 for the environment of the American people offered 

 too many adventitious advantages. We were a 

 people comparatively homogeneous, without deep 

 and wide divisions based upon racial, religious, eco- 

 nomic, or social distinctions. With the one excep- 

 tion of the conflict about slavery, all our political 

 and social contentions touched little more than the 

 surface of our body politic. That one struggle, to 

 be sure, came but too near to prove Democracy a 



