History of the Forest 287 



thing if they had been properly directed held aloof on 

 account of the unreasonable attacks upon them and the 

 impracticable nature of the measures proposed. Those 

 measures, if put into practice at that time, would have 

 killed the lumber industry. 



FOREST SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES 



In 1881, the government appointed a forester but gave 

 him little authority and no appropriations, because it was 

 not known definitely what his duties were or what he ought 

 to do. His work was confined necessarily to collecting 

 data and making reports on forest condition. 



As early as 1799, Congress passed an act for the pur- 

 chase and protection of certain cedar and live oak timber 

 for ship building for the Navy. This act was confirmed 

 and reenacted several times up to 1831, but nothing im- 

 portant ever came of it. The action was rather spasmodic, 

 but it shows that even at this early date there was some 

 apprehension in regard to the exhaustion of certain kinds 

 of timber for special purposes of importance. It perhaps 

 had its origin in the action of England which had long been 

 accustomed to reserve especially fine trees for this purpose. 

 Nothing further was done to encourage tree planting and 

 forest preservation till 1872 when J. Sterling Morton 

 through the State Board of Agriculture inaugurated Arbor 

 Day in Nebraska. Such a day has since been recognized 

 by every state in the Union. The next year, 1873, Con- 

 gress passed the Timber Culture Act, by which title could 

 be obtained to 160 acres of prairie land if 40 acres of it 

 were planted to trees according to certain specifications. 

 This law was well meant, but so framed that its terms 



