Il>'xtory of the Forest 289 



at one time, wen' suspended for a while, hut they were 

 afterwards restore* 1. 



The Division of Forestry for some years attempted to 

 introduce better lumbering methods and the more con- 

 servative use of our forests, but they were met on every 

 hand with ignorance and adverse economic conditions. 

 The abundance of timber made lumber too cheap for any 

 one to pay much attention to the growing of forests, and 

 the splendid transportation facilities blinded the mass of 

 the people to the rapid disappearance of the forests. It 

 was up-hill work, but the movement steadily gathered 

 strength. In the meanwhile a large amount of valuable 

 data was collected on the growth, habits and handling of 

 our trees. 



In spite of all difficulties, the government work grew 

 rapidly in scope and volume as the people became better 

 educated and better acquainted with existing conditions. 

 The Division of Forestry became a Bureau, and in 1905 

 when the national forest reserves, then grown to over 

 100,000,000 acres, were transferred from the control of the 

 Interior Department to the Agricultural Department, 

 the Bureau grew to the Forest Service, an office of the 

 same grade as the Reclamation Service. The work of 

 the Service has since that time been concentrated on the 

 development of the reserves. 



There was for several years a great deal of opposition 

 to these reserves. The name gave the impression that 

 the forests and everything else in the boundaries were to be 

 reserved from use ; that they were to be kept as they were 

 till some future date and for a future generation. That 

 was the common idea of forestry, -the withholding from 



