ioo FORESTS AND MANKIND 



seemed unable in any way to redeem its responsibilities of own- 

 ership. 



Other factors were beginning to set the stage for a more 

 or less reluctant acceptance of the principles of conservation. 

 Immigrants pouring into this country brought with them a 

 knowledge of how necessary forestry is to a nation. Many of 

 them had experienced the privations and evil that followed 

 forest destruction in the lands of their birth. Meanwhile rail- 

 roads were stretching back into the central portions of the 

 land and settlers moving into the treeless regions lamented the 

 absence of trees about their new homes. Following the Civil 

 War settlements sprang up throughout the West like mush- 

 rooms. Wood in greater and greater quantities was needed and 

 now louder than before the note of alarm again was sounded. 

 We were using up and burning up our timber with frightful 

 rapidity. 



From Europe scholars were returning who Ea3 seen what 

 the older nations were able to make of their forest lands. They 

 told how France, Germany, and other countries were able to 

 have the penny and the cake both: how they were able to cut 

 timber from their forests year after year and still have increas- 

 ing quantities. All these things were gradually developing an 

 appreciation of our forest heritage and a stronger undercurrent 

 of desire to preserve them. 



In 1873 a Committee on Forestry of the American Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science presented a report to Con- 

 gress stressing the importance of preserving our forests and in 

 answer to this the first significant step forward was made by 

 the Federal Government. It appointed a forest agent to investi- 



