THE UTILIZATION OF FOREST REFUSE 181 
’ form of small pieces, which are tedious to handle, and 
contains a large percentage of bark. If uses can be 
devised for this material, one of the greatest prob- 
lems of forestry will be solved. One of the first steps 
in the development of forestry was the removal of 
slash. The most economical disposal of this sort of 
material is a subject of constant discussion even in 
Europe. Its removal reduces the number of fires 
and the effects of fire. It renders fire-fighting much 
easier; in fact, would eliminate the most pernicious 
feature of American lumbering. Slash interferes 
with the growth of young trees, and serves as a 
breeding-place for injurious insects. The immunity 
from fire and pest which its removal insures, would 
be worth at least half as much as it would cost to 
patrol the forest and extinguish the fires during the 
fire season. 
When one sees people picking with eagerness 
over a pile of garbage, or hauling old iron and old 
rubber shoes long distances over rough country roads, 
or practising hundreds of other apparently unprofit- 
able economies, it would seem that there ought arise 
a use for the millions of tons of cellulose which rot 
in the woods. It is not the twigs nor the leaves which 
do the damage, but the tops and limbs, in which there 
is often a great deal of good pulp and fuel-wood, and, 
in many instances, saw stuff. The leaves and small 
