PREFACE. 



WHEN from any cause a necessity exists in any 

 country for the removal of its forests from ex- 

 tended areas, unless care be taken as to the man- 

 ner in which such removal is made, and some 

 parts are left wooded, irreparable injuries will 

 inevitably follow. 



In the United States, where the enormous in- 

 crease in population has resulted in the removal 

 of the forests from extended areas, such intelli- 

 gence and care have unfortunately, in most cases, 

 not been exercised. The timber lands have gen- 

 erally been purchased at figures based almost 

 entirely on the value of the standing wood. The 

 trees have been cut down in a reckless manner, 

 and fires, carelessly started, have often been left 

 indifferently to burn themselves out. No attempts 

 have been made to protect the soil that has been 

 denuded of its natural protective covering by the 

 axe or the fire. Before the forest has been 

 made to yield its entire harvest, the greed of the 



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