TWO ADDRESSES 111 



next morning. It is a task that appeals rather to the thorough German or to 

 the patient Frenchman for he is patient in the country. But we have got to 

 come to a knowledge of the fact that we are growing to be an old country, with 

 the responsibilities of an old country and that we have got to abide nature's 

 way in doing the things that we ought to do if we seek the aid of nature in 

 restoring that which we have extravagantly wasted." He made the point that 

 everything must not be expected from the central government of the United 

 States and that it is the business of the states to provide foresters and forest 

 services. In this connection he said that there are "some states that can teach 

 the United States a great deal about what ought to be done for forestry. They 

 are spending lots of money in Massachusetts and in New York, but there are 

 a good many other states where they ought to devote more time. They are 

 younger, they do not realize the responsibilities that are upon them with re- 

 spect to the development of the tree industry. Still," he said, "it is not for 

 me to lecture the states. I have got enough to do looking after the central 

 government as long as that responsibility is mine, and all I can do is to 

 promise this company whose general interest in the matter is most gratifying, 

 that we are going to do as much as we can to develop everything we can in 

 the matter of forestation as long as I have anything to say about it, and I 

 haven't a bit of doubt that those who follow us will continue in the same 

 path." He referred to the great things done by the government in sanitation 

 in Cuba and Panama as an example of the way in which the apparently im- 

 possible may be accomplished. 



The last speaker of the evening was the Forester of the United States, Mr. 

 Graves. His address is printed in full on another page. Following his re- 

 marks. President Guild, with a few appropriate words, brought the thirtieth 

 annual meeting of the American Forestry Association to a close. 



TWO ADDRESSES 



By henry S. graves 



Forester of the United States 



(DliTered to the American Forestry Association, the first at the afternoon session, 

 January 12; the second at the dinner, Friday evening, January 13.) 



THE FORESTRY PROBLEM OF TODAY 



eEPRESENTATIVES of this association gather here every year to dis- 

 cuss problems of forestry, and to report on the progress of forestry dur- 

 ing the year. This year we can report, as in previous years, that there 

 has been a great advance. As I have been about the country, it has been 

 perfectly clear that there never was before so great an interest in forestry, nor 

 so intelligent an understanding of its purposes and methods. Not only has 

 there been a great extension of the interest in the general problems of forestry, 

 but there has been accomplished a great deal in the work of actually introduc- 

 ing the practice of forestry in handling woodlands, I say this, in spite of the 

 great losses during the last season by forest tires. This was the first year that 

 there was a systematic effort to control forest fires on a large scale during a 

 season of great drouth. There is a saying that once in so often a forest will 

 be burned over and destroyed, and that no matter what is done in the way of 

 protection, the forest sooner or later will be burned. The origin of this say- 

 ing may be sought in the past history of fires. During previous periods, when 

 there was no attempt to protect forests, there were fires here and there every 

 year, some burning over large and some over small areas ; and then occasion- 



