FORESTRY 343 



the forests of the United States. It has been authorita- 

 tively stated that if the present waste of our forest land 

 continues, the timber supply of the country will be ex- 

 hausted before 1940. Not only are the forests being reck- 

 lessly cut down, but forest fires are each year destroying 

 millions of dollars' worth of timber. When the impor- 

 tance of lumber to all kinds of industries is considered, 



GOOD FORESTRY 

 Notice how the underbrush and small timber has been cleaned up. 



the rapid exhausting of our forest supplies becomes al- 

 most appalling. 



When the native forests are destroyed, trees of other 

 kinds may in time replace those removed, but frequently 

 these are of less commercial value. Thus, when the coni- 

 fer forests of the northern states are cut off, birches and 

 poplars replace them. If only the larger trees had been 

 cut, leaving the smaller and younger trees to hold the 



