THE PORESTER. 



VOL. VI. JANUARY, 1900. No. i, 



The American Forestry Association. 



The Eighteenth Annual Meeting Held at Washington. 



FROM THE OFFICIAL NOTES OF THE RECORDING SECRETARY. 



In compliance with Article XI. of the Constitution and By-laws, and pursuant to the 

 notice published in the November issue of THE FORESTER, the American Forestry 

 Association held its eighteenth annual meeting on December 13, 1899, in the hall of 

 the Cosmos Club, Washington, D. C. 



The president of the Association, Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, 

 being unavoidably absent, the chair was occupied by the first vice-president, Dr. B. E. 

 Fernow, Dean of the New York State College of Forestry, who called the meeting to 

 order at ten o'clock. 



After the reading and approval of the minutes of the last annual meeting, the report 

 of the Board of Directors was submitted, as hereafter printed in full. 



The Chair expressed his pleasure at the progress of the Association during the past 

 year. He noted the change that has taken place in the membership since seventeen 

 years ago. The early members were enthusiasts, he said, and for years the Association 

 went on with no definite policy. After some ten years the object of the work began to 

 be formulated. Now a new generation has arisen, and the character of the Associa- 

 tion seems to have changed. The profession of forestry is now coming to the front. 

 The planting of seventeen years has begun to bear fruit. It is pleasant to know that 

 the hard plowing was not in vain. 



In response to a request of the chair, Mr. E. A. Bowers, of New Haven, Conn., 

 sketched briefly his connection with the forest movement. He had felt confident that 

 the reform in the treatment of the national forest lands was bound to come, and he 

 believed that this Association has been the center to which people had turned when 

 they wished to accomplish something in forestry. The present reservation system, he 

 said, was the result of the work of this Association. But there is still work to do, and 

 he thought it wise to keep the Association going. He complimented THE FORESTER 

 and thought it would be a fatal mistake to discontinue it. But positive action must be 

 taken on the financial question to provide funds to carry it on energetically- Next in 

 importance to that, he said, is the project to consolidate the forestry efforts of the 

 United States. Congress has at last realized the necessity of a forest policy. Now it 

 must harmonize the work. 



Mr. F. H. Newell, Hydrographer of the U. S. Geological Survey, also expressed 

 his belief in the wisdom of publishing a good journal of forestry, and he also hoped 

 that the Association might determine upon some plan for consolidating the Government 

 work in forestry. 



The report of the Board of Directors was then approved. 



