NEW YORK STATE FORESTRY 



highest scientific value from forest work 

 at Letchworth Park, but also to de- 

 velop its usefulness as an object lesson 

 to all Park visitors." 



I wish with all my heart that this 

 object lesson were in its full fruition. 

 But I do not need to say to foresters 

 that forest trees grow well we won't 

 say slow but not fast, we will say. 

 So possibly after five years, certainly in 

 ten, the Letchworth forest arboretum 

 will have some useful forest lessons to 

 teach; for by that time the little trees 

 will be up in forest formation. 



In the meantime we are making ex- 

 periments with different species ; and, 

 we are doing some things which will, 

 and which will not, and which perhaps, 

 may work. All men must do such 

 things who would find out new and use- 

 ful facts for the uses of other men. 



I am hopeful that the Letchworth 

 forest arboretum will be only a begin- 

 ning. I want to see such forest ar- 

 boreta established in other regions of 

 the United States ; one for example, in 

 the southeast, in the region of the 

 southern pines ; another in the Rocky 

 mountains ; another on the Pacific coast ; 

 and one above all in far southwest 

 where trees are needed more than any- 

 where else in all America. 



This, then, is the central idea in the 

 forest arboretum at Letchworth Park 

 to help so far as it can in helping tree 

 planters and therefore helping foresters 

 to bring back trees successfully upon 

 land where trees only can be profitably 

 grown. 



Just a word in closing, gentlemen, 

 just one word about this whole matter 

 of forestry. I believe that there are in 

 America no more useful citizens than 

 foresters. I think there are no higher 

 types of American citizenship than ex- 

 emplified by some great foresters. I 

 see for the work, unless my vision is all 

 wrong, a great and growing and a most 

 productive future. Upon your zeal, 

 upon your training, and upon your ex- 

 perience, and that of other foresters, 

 depends more than anything else the 

 future of the forests of America. From 

 the far flung National forests, set 

 among the great mountain ranges of 



the west, to the woodlots and the timber 

 tracts right here at home, lies your 

 work. I believe that the future of the 

 forests of America is safe in the hands 

 of American foresters. 



The above papers and proceedings 

 indicate the keen interest that has been 

 taken in the meeting of the New York 

 State Forestry Association already held, 

 but much remains to be done. 



With 7,000,000 acres of idle land en- 

 closed within farms, with 125,000 acres 

 of true forest soil owned by the State 

 that are in urgent need of reforestation, 

 w r ith the forest resources, camp sites, 

 etc., tied up by Constitutional prohi- 

 bition, a definite plan of forest manage- 

 ment is needed and the New York State 

 Forestry Association can and must not 

 limit its activities to papers and dis- 

 cussions. 



A broad constructive forest policy 

 representing the combined wisdom and 

 ideas of the various organizations now 

 represented in the State Association 

 should be prepared, to the end that State 

 and private forest resources shall be 

 wisely and fully used and the future 

 citizens of the Empire State shall re- 

 ceive the priceless heritage of pure 

 water and abundant forests in a con- 

 dition which reflects credit upon the 

 wisdom of the present generation. 



It has seemed to the Board of Editors 

 that the first publication of the New 

 York State Forestry Association could 

 not be concluded in a more fitting way 

 than with the statement of its Presi- 

 dent, the Honorable James S. Whipple. 



President Whipple as former Forest, 

 Fish and Game Commissioner labored 

 for six years in protecting the wild 

 life and the forests of the State. To 

 Commissioner W^hipple, and to the late 

 Colonel Fox, the citizens of New York 

 owe a heavy debt. 



