THE TREE DOCTOR 199 



to perfection when viewed from a particular spot. Not a chisel 

 or other tool has ever touched it; it is just as seen in Photo 183, 

 and is known as "The Washington Rock." With the memory 

 of George Washington is associated the memory of the Ameri- 

 can native forest, and one can imagine the anguish of soul en- 

 dured by those still with us who spent their childhood's early 

 days in the woodlands which then stood in all their pristine 

 glory, but have now passed away. I came, myself, early enough 

 (1873) to see much of the grandeur of Ohio's charming forests, 

 but nearly all have fallen before the woodman's ruthless ax. 

 We all, of course, understand that the clearing away of much 

 of the woodlands was a necessity, but the wholesale destruction 

 was utterly inexcusable. As illustrative of the wrongs: not 

 many years ago, an enterprising Dutchman "made a payment" 

 of fifteen hundred dollars on a five thousand dollar farm, sold 

 the timber for three thousand dollars, took to drinking, spent 

 the money and let the farm "go back" to the former owners, 

 minus one-half its value. He might just as consistently have 

 stolen and carted off one-half the farm. 



Another case was that of a somewhat "fast" man who fell 

 heir to a hundred acres of land and, being pressed for money, sold 

 a piece of timber worth at least two thousand dollars for five 

 hundred dollars, and the "old homestead," with buildings tumb- 

 ling down, was let go to wreck because the vanities of a spend- 

 thrift son must needs be gratified. 



Only a short time ago I walked for hours in the bit of purely 

 native woodland seen in Photo 184, and felt like praying for its 

 preservation, but prayer seems like a mockery when the cross- 

 mark is on the tree and the "heir" must needs get money! Was 

 "Liberty" conferred for no higher purpose than gratification? 



In circular number 33 of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, giving the substance of the proceedings of that 

 memorable American Forest Congress, held in Washington, 

 D. C., January 3-6, 1905, in discussing the evils of sheep pastur- 

 ing in the woodlands of the West, it was shown that the animals 

 ate the young seedlings and thus prevented new trees forming 

 a forest growth. One point was entirely overlooked or, at any 

 rate, does not appear in the circular ; namely, that by keeping 

 down the young growth, the grass "gets a start" and the death 



