FORESTRY BEGINNINGS IN VERMONT 87 



Eive years' experience in propaganda ers in their desire to incorporate these 

 work has convinced me that the only new ideals, we supplied the past spring 

 way to get any real results from this a limited number of "Arbor Day pack- 

 educational work is to advocate some ages" with detailed instructions for use 

 specific line of work. Planting is the in a bed eight by two feet in the school 

 one phase of forestry which interests yard. These packages contained seed- 

 the average lay mind. While it is the lings of various ages of white, red, and 

 least important branch in the East and Scotch pine, and Norway spruce ; and 

 the least interesting to the forester, it small papers of white pine and locust 

 does furnish a handle by which to get a seed. A charge of 50 cents was made 

 great many people actively interested in for the package. 



forestry work. When a man has once No event is so much anticipated in 

 planted a thousand trees he will protect rural communities as the agricultural 

 them from fire and begin to study their fair, a series of which is held every fall 

 growth. He soon notices natural re- in all our eastern states. Our legisla- 

 production, and it is only a step to more ture has finally recognized their value 

 conservative cutting. The leaders of by appropriating money for a state fair, 

 the forestry movement in Vermont real- Besides this state fair-, there were ten 

 ized the educational value of planting corporation fairs in Vermont this fall, 

 and secured in 1906 an annual appro- These have an average daily attendance 

 priation of $500 for five years for a of from four to fifteen thousand people 

 forest nursery, following the precedent coming from the most remote parts of 

 started by Connecticut of selling forest the state. At most of these fairs the 

 seedlings to land owners at cost price, state forest service this year had an ex- 

 With the increased appropriations avail- hibit consisting of several boxes six feet 

 able this year, the nursery has now been by one foot by six inches, containing 

 extensively enlarged, so that we now various kinds of forest seedlings; bot- 

 have a total growing stock of about ties of tree seeds, and sections of Nor- 

 1,500,000 seedlings. The past spring way spruce trees grown in Vermont 

 we sent out to land owners 200,000 showing very rapid growth. The in- 

 trees, mostly white pine. The encour- terest in these exhibits was entirely be- 

 aging feature of this is not the number, yond our expectation. One and some- 

 but the fact that they went to every times two attendants were kept con- 

 county in the state, and to over seventy stantly busy from morning until night 

 different people, of whom at least ten explaining the exhibits and answering 

 are lumbermen, and as many bona fide questions on all phases of forestry, 

 farmers. That the people of the state are fully 



In Vermont the general movement awake to the importance of the forestry 



is now gaining headway how effect- movement their interest at these fairs 



ively, we cannot say to reorganize the demonstrated. The press of the state 



rural schools with the purpose of fitting has also shown an unusual appreciation 



the pupils for life in the country rather of the importance of the work, and the 



than in the city, which has formerly tin- state forest service has been particu- 



dotibtedly been the tendency of all edu- larly fortunate in this progressive atti- 



cation. Vermont must always remain tticle of the press. 



primarily an agricultural and forest The annual appropriation available 

 state. The sooner we can instil into for forestry purposes is now $8,500, 

 the young new ways of looking at the and we hope soon to acquire some lands 

 forest, the sooner will forestry ideals for state forests which will be pur- 

 be realized. By this we do not mean chased primarily for educational pur- 

 a sentimental regard for the forest, but poses. Later on I hope that the state 

 a knowledge of the laws underlying for- will enter upon the policy of acquiring 

 estry, so that the forests will be man- large tracts in the Green Mountains. 

 aged in the future as a crop and not as In no state, I believe, is there a more 

 a mine. As a first step toward coop- sane and thorough interest in for- 

 erating with the more progressive teach- estry to-day than in Vermont. 



