1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 255 



As the American Forestry Association met in Quebec 

 the past autumn, this fact suggested a possible means of 

 obtaining light upon the subject ; and the writer, a member 

 of that association, with credentials as delegate from this 

 State, submitted a communication of inquiry upon the 

 subject of forestry, bearing on the order received from the 

 Legislature, and it was referred to one of their members, 

 Prof. B. E. Fernow, chief of the forestry division of the 

 department of agriculture at Washington, whose letter in 

 reply is submitted herewith. 



United States Department of Agriculture, Forestry Division, 



Washington, D. C, Sept. 23, 1890. 



Francis H. Appleton, Esq., Lynnjield, Mass. 



Dear Sir : — Your paper, directed to Dr. Fisher, for the Quebec 

 meeting, was referred to me for reply, since there was no oppor- 

 tunity to discuss it at the meeting. 



I do not know that I can do much to aid you, except perhaps 

 to throw out a few suggestions which occur to me as I read your 

 letter. First, let us understand that the whole forestry movement 

 is one that cannot be expected to come to an issue in a short 

 time ; it is as much a matter of economic development as of 

 education. 



As far as legislating can effect anything, I believe Massachu- 

 setts has done as well as any State in regard to her forestry 

 interests. The effect of your act enabling towns to own com- 

 munal forests, in creating the public forest at Lynn, shows that, 

 where the citizens are really alive to the question, they will take 

 advantage of the law. What is needed is, that citizens be made 

 alive and aware of the advantages accruing from the application 

 of the law, and they will apply it. This suggests an educational 

 campaign on the part of the State Board of Agriculture, in 

 which, at farmers' meetings, plain, practical talks, leaving out all 

 theories of forest influences, timber famine, etc., show the ad- 

 vantages, direct and indirect, of caring for your forest property, 

 by which care the distinction between forest and woodlands is 

 established. If I were to define the word " forest," in contra- 

 distinction to woodland, I would say that the latter is the natural 

 growth left to itself and without care, while a forest is an area of 

 woodland, kept as such for the production of wood (timber or 

 cord wood) under proper care and management. The woodland 

 becomes a forest when it is placed under management. 



