Forestry Congress. 413 



appropriations, whicli enabled it to offer preminms for 

 the setting out of plantations, to distribute plant 

 material, and also to publish and distribute widely a 

 Tree Planters' Manual, revised editions of which were 

 issued from time to time. 



In 1875, Dr. John A. Warder issued a call for a con- 

 vention in Chicago to form a national forestry associa- 

 tion. This association was completed, in 1876, at 

 Philadelphia, but never showed any life or growth. 



In 1882, a number of patriotic citizens at Cincinnati 

 called together a forestry congress, incited thereto by 

 the visit and representations of Baron von Steuben, a 

 Prussian forest official, when visiting this countrj' on 

 the occasion of the centennial celebration of the sur- 

 render of Yorktown. 



A very enthusiastic and representative gathering, on 

 April 25, was the result, lasting through the week, 

 which led to the formation of the American Forestry- 

 Congress. In the same year, in August, a second meet- 

 ing was held in Montreal, imder the patronage of the 

 Canadian government, and the name was changed to 

 the American Forestry Association. In 1898, it began 

 the publication of a propagandist journal. The Fores- 

 ter (later changed to Forestry and Irrigation, and now 

 again to Conservation). It has now a membership of 

 over 5,000. Much of the early educational propaganda 

 was done through this association. Indeed, this asso- 

 ciation, holding yearly and intermediate meetings in 

 different parts of the States, became the center of all 

 private efforts to advance the forestry- movement. 

 Twelve volimies of its proceedings contain not only the 

 history of progress in establishing a forest policy, but 



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