THE TREE DOCTOR 



217 



Photo 203, A peaceful River. 



We are in the midst of the "Iron age," and ore is being used 

 at a rate which very few comprehend. A recent writer (who 

 seemed moderate in expression and a careful figurer) said that 

 thirty-five years will make such inroads on our "paying" ore- 

 beds that the price will be very high, and that fifty years from 

 now iron will be almost prohibitive for many purposes; yet our 

 "civilized" nations are digging out this valuable ore, construct- 

 ing it into "battleships," and using hundreds of millions of tons 

 of coal in them, only to blow them to pieces to gratify our brutal 

 instincts. Remember, the coal and ores once gone can never 

 be replaced. 



There is but one thing that can be replaced which can be 

 used in erecting abodes, and also for motive power and fuel, viz ; 

 The Forests. But in destroying the forests we destroy the fa- 

 cilities for growing them or any other plant life. Cutting away 

 the timber dries up the streams. See Photo 194. Referring 

 again to the American Forest Congress report, here is what is 

 said by Hon. John F. Lacey, Representative in Congress from 

 Iowa: "I was born in the woods of Virginia. I moved to the 



