56 



SOIL EROSION. 



That all young after-growth falls a victim to the forest fire, be it ever 

 so slight, stands to reason, and, with the changes in condition of the soil, 

 the soil cover, and the light conditions in the crowns, a growth of valueless 

 species, shrubs and tree-weeds occupies the ground. 



The lumberman, then, in so far as he supplies us with the necessary 

 wood materials, is a legitimate factor in our civilization ; in so far as by his 

 methods he destroys, indirectly or directly, the soil, the after-growth, and 

 the chances for re-habilitating it, he is from the standpoint of political 

 economy a dangerous element, at least to future generations. We must, to 

 be sure, admit that peculiar economic conditions have forced his methods 

 upon him, and he is left without proper assistance in reducing the danger, 

 by lack of proper appreciation of the damage inflicted, on the part of the 

 public and the state authorities which alone are the representatives of the 

 community and should especially guard the interest of the future. 



Not until this appreciation of the duties of the community has led to 

 proper effort in reducing the fire danger, is there hope in changing the 

 methods of the logger materially ; not until forest properties are rendered 

 comparatively safe from incendiarism will it become rational and practi- 

 cable to apply forestry methods to their management. 



The forester also is a lumberman ; he, too, harvests his crop ; his busi- 

 ness, too, lies in supplying wood materials to the community, as you may 



