1900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



5 1 



what we have left and clothe our country 

 anew. Unfortunately we cannot replace 

 everything, but it is our duty to try to 

 make good what has been destroyed in the 

 past. Thousands of people could be em- 

 ployed in this way, as there is plenty of 

 ground ready for seed, and there are large 

 stretches of land that cannot be used for 

 fields and pastures but where forests would 

 grow. The orator himself has clothed 

 the bare rocks by fastening trees on to the 

 rocks and putting earth round it. In this 

 way we could double our present national 

 income, besides opening up a new branch 

 of industry. They call Norway a poor 

 country, but it could become a rich one. 

 Her sons and daughters need not cross the 

 ocean there is earth, seed and summer 

 sun enough at home, and we have a duty 

 to attend to, which is to renew our forests. 

 Everyone must help. We must gather a 

 company of forest friends in this country 

 and, in spite of all opposition, make the 

 forest cause a national one. 



What can be done by united labor is 

 shown in our neighboring countries. 

 When, after the last unhappy war, Den- 

 mark was torn asunder and bleeding, 

 good-hearted men went to work to form 

 new lands to replace the lost provinces. 

 In our childhood days we read that the 

 Heaths of Julland were uninhabited, ex- 

 cept by winds and heather broom. But 

 a Danish Heath Society was formed and 

 after thirty years one-half of the heather 

 is under cultivation and there is a growing 

 community there. Now they talk of ex- 

 porting wood to England from the forests 

 of Denmark. Here we have to take coal 

 and coke to Gudbrandsdalen (Norway). 



The planting of the Danish heaths is a 

 good example of this work, and it now 

 seems as if this cause will be taken up 

 warmly in this country as well. 



It has been carried on in Sweden. En- 

 couraged by the example of Denmark, the 

 Swedish people commenced this work and 

 there are planted in Bohnsliin, where the 

 circumstances are similar to those on our 

 west coast, about the same number of trees 

 as have been planted by the Norwegian 

 planting schools. 



The interest in forestry is now increas- 



ing, and we must begin to work, but be- 

 fore anything else something must be done 

 by the government. The government 

 should buy more land for planting and 

 establish more planting schools, besides 

 having skilful men travel throughout the 

 country. A law should be passed to make 

 people plant two trees for every one they 

 cut down. Of course it would be the 

 country people that would profit by this, 

 but through many hidden channels this in- 

 come would flow back to the town, and 

 the money, that is spent in this cause, will 

 come back with large profits. 



This cause should be placed before the 

 young people, because it is a future one, 

 and the young people own the future. In 

 young people's meetings the forest cause 

 must be brought to the front, in such an 

 inspiring way, that we should see them 

 come to these meetings with hoes on their 

 back and raise for themselves a sprouting 

 memorial. The cause must also be taken 

 into school. If all the school children 

 were sent out once a year to plant trees, 

 then Mother Earth would soon be clothed, 

 and if we thus formed a working society, 

 it would be a long time before the country 

 was again uncovered, for we should have 

 brought up a nation who would carry out 

 into the world with them a veneration for 

 everything that grows. Last year hun- 

 dreds of schools had planting days, and it 

 has been seen that planting awakens the 

 children's greatest interest. In Sondmore 

 they had planted half a million trees in 

 four years ; but the interest has increased 

 lately so that half a million were planted 

 this year alone. 



The greatest number of planting days 

 is held in America. In 1872 the Governor 

 of one of the Prairie States issued orders, 

 that on a certain day all the men and 

 women in the state should plant a tree. 

 Now each state has its "Arbor day," 

 in some cases fixed by law. They have 

 sheltering trees all over the prairies, and 

 the country roads are sometimes lined with 

 avenues of them. We must also have a 

 day fixed by law, when everyone has to go 

 out and capture new land. In America 

 "Arbor day" is a holiday and in some 

 places a " holy" day. 



