16 



had been overcome, whence are we to obtain the deals of 

 northern pines, the boards of the red cedar, and the almost 

 endless kinds of other woods, which future artisans will re- 

 quire 1 ? For, assuredly, neither Europe nor North America can 

 sustain the heavy call on their indigenous and even planted 

 forests for an indefinite period to come. Tropical woods 

 might for a time be brought from the jungles of three conti- 

 nents, but certainly not at a small cost. Besides, tropical 

 trees, as a rule, are not gregarious; we cannot judge before- 

 hand in every instance of their durability and other qualities ; 

 we cannot recognise their extraordinary variety of sorts speci- 

 fically from mere inspection of the logs, and we should find our- 

 selves soon surrounded by endless difficulties and perplexities, 

 were we to depend on such resources alone. Would it not 

 be far wiser timely to create independent resources of our own, 

 for which we have really such great facility? With equal 

 earnestness another aspect of the timber question, as concern- 

 ing our national economy, forces itself on our reflection. The 

 inhabitable space of the globe is not likely to increase, except 

 through forces which would initiate a new organic creation, or 

 at all events bring the present phase in the world's history to 

 a close; but while the area of land does not increase, mankind, 

 in spite of deadly plagues, of the horrors of warfare, and of 

 uncountable oppressions and miseries, which more extended 

 education and the highest standard of morals can only reduce 

 or subdue mankind, in spite of all this, increases numerically 

 so rapidly, that before long more space must be gained for its 

 very existence. Where can we look for the needful space 1 ? 

 Is it in the tropic zones, with their humid heat and depressing 

 action on our energies 1 Or is it in the frigid zone, which 

 sustains but a limited number of forms of organism? Or is 

 it rather in the temperate and particularly our warm tempe- 

 rate zone, that we have to offer the means of subsistence to 

 our fellow-men, closely located as they in future must be? 

 But this formation of dense and at the same time also thriving 

 settlements, how is it to be carried out, unless indeed we 

 place not merely our soil at the disposal of our coming 

 brethren, but offer with this soil also the indispensable requi- 

 sites of a vigorous industrial life, among which requisites the 

 easy and inexpensive access to a sufficiency of wood stands 

 well-nigh foremost. 



I may be met with the reply, that the singular rapidity of 

 the growth of Australian trees is such as to bring within the 

 scope of each generation all that is required, as far as wood is 



