FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES 101 



gate conditions. Later this position expanded and grew into 

 the Division of Forestry. 



Each year the increase of idle, cut-over land in the wake of 

 the lumber industry was becoming more menacing. Until 

 the last quarter of the past century, lands cut-over for their 

 timber had been put to work growing farm crops and no eco- 

 nomic loss followed so long as there was greater need for farm 

 lands than for forest land. But soon the lumberman began cut- 

 ting in regions where farms were not profitable where soil 

 and altitude and climate all conspired to make for low farm 

 values. It was on these lands that forestry had to be practiced 

 if they were to be good for anything. If they could be lum- 

 bered less destructively and protected from fire, nature would 

 help restore them to forest. But year after year this No Man's 

 Land increased by millions of acres. It constituted a menace to 

 our very prosperity. We could not grow farms on it and we 

 would not grow trees. 



Meanwhile fire after fire swept over these treeless wastes and 

 rain washed their fertility away. They were fast becoming 

 good for nothing. During this time several States had already 

 awakened to the need of Forestry. New York, Wisconsin and 

 other States passed acts for the encouragement of timber 

 growth. Arbor Day first celebrated in 1872 in Nebraska helped 

 direct attention to tree planting. A few years later California 

 established a Board of Forestry. By this time, although the 

 Federal Government was relatively inactive, the States were 

 making a beginning in the new art of forestry. 



In 1891, a step forward was taken leading to the greatest 

 single contribution our government had yet made to the cause 



