238 



ELEMENTS OF AGEICULTUBE 



CHAPTER XLV.—Forestey 



221. Definition. — Forestry is the art of growing and 

 caring for trees; it is tree-farming. In this great coun- 

 try of ours we are inclined to look on tree-farming as 

 a useless occupation. With- such vast forests as ours 

 it seems useless to plant and grow more trees. But at 

 the present rate, how long will our forests last ? Each 

 year many thousand trees are cut, and it takes many 

 years for others to grow in their place. A great tree 

 may be cut down in a few minutes ; but it requires fifty 

 to one hundred years for another to grow in its place. 

 Our forests are being cut away much faster than others 

 are growing, and unless our government takes some 

 measure to protect them, the forests of this country 

 will all be destroyed. 



222. Value of Forests. — Besides supplying timber, 

 forests are of value in many ways : 



(1) In the first place forests have a great influence 

 on the climate of a country. The trees through their 

 leaves give off vast quantities of water, which serves to 

 keep the air in the immediate vicinity of the forest 

 moist. The moisture in the air serves to equalize the 

 temperature, preventing sudden extremes of heat and 

 cold. 



(2) Forests prevent excessive surface washing, 

 causing the rains and snow to soak into the soil; thus 

 increasing the flow of water from springs, wells, and 

 creeks, and at the same time preventing floods. The 



