FORESTRY 263 



Tree-covered areas, too, were often burned over, and the 

 growth of the trees checked, in order to make hunting less 

 difficult. The greater part of the country was, however, 

 covered with thrifty forests. 



In recent years the demand for lumber and wood pulp 

 and the careless and wasteful way in which the forests 

 have been handled by the lumbermen has greatly reduced 

 the forests of the United States. It has been authorita- 

 tively stated that if the present waste of our forest land 



BAD FORESTRY. 

 The forest was razed, leaving no small trees for future growth. 



continues, the timber supply of the country will be ex- 

 hausted before 1940. Not only are the forests being reck- 

 lessly cut down, but forest fires are each year destroying 

 millions of dollars worth of timber. When the impor- 

 tance of lumber to all kinds of industries is considered, 

 the rapid exhausting of our forest supplies becomes al- 

 most appalling. 



But not only is the destruction of the forests a men- 

 ace to the industries in which lumber is necessary, but 

 the effects are far reaching in many other directions. 



