26 THE SCHOOL BOOK OF FORESTRY 



ments. In time this fear of the forest developed 

 into hatred of the forest. As a result, the col- 

 onists cut trees as rapidly as they could. In 

 every way they fought back the wilderness. They 

 and their children's children have worked so 

 effectively that the original wealth of woodlands 

 has been depleted. At present, cleared fields and 

 cutover areas abound in regions that at one time 

 were covered with magnificent stands of timber. 

 In many sections of the country our forests 

 are now so reduced that they are of little commer- 

 cial importance. However, these areas are not 

 yet entirely denuded. Predictions have been 

 made frequently that our woodlands would soon 

 disappear. Scientific foresters report that such 

 statements are incorrect. There are only a few 

 districts in the country which probably will never 

 again support much tree growth. Their denuded 

 condition is due largely to the destruction of the 

 neighboring mountain forests and to the activi- 

 ties of erosion. Under ordinary conditions, nat- 

 ural reforestation will maintain a satisfactory 

 tree growth on lands where a practical system of 

 forest protection is practiced. The complete 

 removal of the forest is now accomplished only in 

 fertile farming regions, where the agricultural 



