THE PRODUCE OF FORESTS. 15 



the position has been recognised, and great efforts are being 

 made to guard against a future timber famine in that country. 

 Instruction in forestry is being given at three universities and 

 some forty other educational establishments ; State forests are 

 being created at a rapid rate, and even private forest lands 

 are brought under systematic forest management. The United 

 States have now at Washington a well organised "Bureau of 

 Forestry ' presided over by Mr. Gifford Pinchot, a wealthy 

 American, who studied forestry chiefly in German}^ but also 

 in France and Switzerland. He is assisted by seven gentlemen 

 at headquarters, and some thirty field assistants. This staff 

 is busy in gradually introducing systematic management into 

 the State reserves and into private forests. Can we not learn 

 something from this? 



C(in<t<l<t has as yet great stores in her 266 million acres of 

 real timber lands, especially of coniferous timber. If the 

 authorities in these self-governing colonies could be induced 

 to introduce systematic management into the more important 

 forests, that country might for ever supply the rest of the 

 world with the necessary coniferous timber. Some mild efforts 

 have been made by the Governments, and even forestry 

 societies started, but the interests of the lumber trade are very 

 great and powerful, and in the meantime the destruction of 

 the forests b}^ reckless cutting and fires goes on. Let us hope 

 that a thorough change may soon be effected. 



5. Conclusions. 



On the whole, then, the following conclusions seem 

 justified : 



1. We require enormous and ever-increasing quantities 



of timber. 



2. Prices are likely to be higher in the future than they 



were in the past. 



3. Supplies from outside rest on a very unsafe basis. 



4. An increase of the woodlands in this country, if brought 



B2 



