ANNUAL MEETING AND FORESTRY CONFERENCE 



109 



If America is going to conserve her forests, if the 

 dangers from fire, pests and diseases such as the chestnut 

 blight and white pine blister are to be fully appreciated, 

 then it is imperative that our public schools become 

 vitally interested in these subjects. 



Therefore, be it Resolved: That the American 

 Forestry Association favors the suggestion that the 

 Departments of Public Instruction of the several states 

 in the Union, encourage in their public schools the study 

 of our native trees and forests, with special emphasis on 

 their growth, proper development and preservation from 

 disease and destruction by fire; and to encourage the 

 planting of shade trees on all school grounds, home 

 grounds and surroundings and along public highways. 



Louisiana Forestry Work 

 Whereas, The recent act of the 1916 session of the 

 Legislature of Louisiana, effective January, 1918, which 

 provides that the State Forestry work be in charge of a 

 trained forester, and that the expenditures for Forestry 

 work shall equal twenty per cent of the income derived 

 from the products tax on timber and turpentine, marks a 

 great forward step in that State for forest conservation, 

 therefore be it 



Resolved, That the American Forestry Association 

 heartily commends and endorses this action of Louisiana, 

 and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor 

 of Louisiana. 



Protecting Migratory Birds 



Resolved, That the American Forestry Association 

 respectfully urges the present Congress to make effective, 

 through the necessary legislative action, the recently 

 ratified Convention between the United States and 

 Great Britain for the protection of useful migratory birds. 



Speedy action is desirable in view of the increasing 

 economic loss to all the people, which must ensue if 

 action be deferred until the next Congress. 



State Forestry Work 



Resolved, That the American Forestry Association 

 commends the progress which has been made in indepen- 

 dent State forestry work as shown by the existing State 

 Forestry Departments and deplores any effort or ten- 

 dency to subordinate this work to that of other Depart- 

 ments which might weaken its influence or eliminate 

 technically trained foresters, such changes in organiza- 

 tion not being conducive to efficiency or to the best 

 forest interests of any state. 



Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this 

 resolution be sent to the governor of every State. 



Forest and Lumber Problems 

 Understanding that our Federal Departments dealing 

 with forest and lumber problems have under consideration 

 the formation of an Advisory Board to enable permanent 



and systematic consultation with forest and lumber inter- 

 ests, we advocate such a board as contributing to the 

 development of a comprehensive American forestry policy. 



A National Quarantine 



In view of the spread of diseases and insect pests 

 introduced from foreign countries, such as chestnut 

 blight, gypsy moth and white pine blister. 



Resolved, That the American Forestry Association 

 favor the principle of absolute national quarantine on 

 plants, trees and nursery stock, to take effect at the earliest 

 date which may be found economically expedient. 



TREES IN THE WAR ZONE 



THE struggle of the trees for existence in the battle- 

 swept fields of Europe is one of the things that 

 stands out in the memory of Will Irwin, war corre- 

 spondent, recently returned from Europe. 



"I was never quite so impressed," said Irwin, "and 

 there are many things one will never forget after a visit 

 to those battle-fronts, as I was with the trees and their 

 pathetic endeavor to live where man had given up the 

 struggle and there were heaps of dead to testify to his 

 heroism. 



"At Verdun I saw the blackened stumps from which 

 the mighty trunks had been shot away. Clustered around 

 their base I would find a little shoot or two bravely send- 

 ing forth its green to gladden a sorry place. Time and 

 again on trunks that had been left standing blackened 

 and almost stripped of bark, so fierce had been the fire, 

 I found tiny leaves coming forth for it was April and 

 those trees still had life enough left to answer to Nature 

 who goes on and on despite the quarrels of humanity. 



"It was the same on the Italian front which I visited. 

 There the fighting has been as fierce as anywhere in 

 Europe, although we have not heard so much about it. 

 I found Nature putting forth her foliage in a feeble way 

 among the crags and the rocks and all this despite the 

 terrific gun fire and spreading of death-dealing gases which 

 no human being had been able to withstand. 



"The willow is playing a wonderful part in the war. 

 The Italians particularly are using it to weave masks and 

 deceptive fronts for their trenches. " 



AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT 



AMERICAN FORESTRY is very glad to acknowl- 

 edge the assistance and cooperation of the U. S. 

 Forest Service in furnishing photographs and neces- 

 sary data for the preparation of the following articles 

 which have appeared in the magazine from time to time: 

 September, 1915, Longleaf of Pine; October, 1915, Chest- 

 nut; November, 1915, Sugar Maple; April, 1916, White 

 or Paper Birch; August, 1916, Mockernut Hickory. 



WE TAKE PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THAT WE HAVE ON HAND JUST TEN COPIES OF THE REPORT OF 

 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOUTHERN FORESTRY CONGRESS, HELD AT ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAR- 

 OLINA, FROM JULY 11-16, 1916, AND THESE MAY BE PURCHASED FOR ONE DOLLAR EACH, BY MAK- 

 ING APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



