54 The State and the Farmer 



weeds in the forest as Canada thistles are 

 weeds in the corn-field. Man can produce 

 a better commercial forest than Nature usu- 

 ally does. 



These forests may well belong to the 

 people. Schools and towns could be sup- 

 ported by the proceeds of good community 

 forests, at the same time that water-supplies 

 could be conserved, wild animals protected, 

 and the beauty and respectability of the 

 country enhanced. When this time begins to 

 come, the commonwealths that have rough 

 lands may consider themselves to be fortu- 

 nate. The town, county or state could well 

 afford to buy some of these lands and 

 devote them to forests. The United States 

 government is well begun on this process, 

 and this is right; but it is also necessary 

 that the states and communities themselves 

 acquire forests in order to maintain their 

 institutions and to develop local enterprise, 

 the importance of which I shall try to 

 develop in the second part of this book. 



