198 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



ApriE 



stead of, as at present, costing yearly 

 an appropriation for their protection. 

 The forests are being improved by clean- 



nau 



When Congress finally awoke"to action" In coirrfeTffon with issuing free- use 



in this matter, the public was found back timber permits to a reasonable extent 



of the movement, and consequently re- a system of timber sales has been estab- 



sults have followed. lished which, in results already at- 



Prof. William Russell Dudley, of Stan- tained, has demonstrated the feasibility 



ford University, California, in addressing of making our public forests return a 



the Sierra Club, in 1896, regarding the large revenue to the government in- 

 forest reservations in existence at that 

 date seventeen in number, embracing 

 17,000,000 of acres had occasion to 



deplore the lamentable contrast between ing out the dead and down trees and 



Germany and America in respect to for- selling the mature timber; and a practical 



estry. He pointed to the fact that, and scientific system of forestry is 



while Germany had forest schools and guaranteeing the development of the 



trained foresters who saw to the protec- younger timber while securing efficient 



tion and rational use of her forests, we protection from fire ; to which may 



had no such schools, no trained forest- be added the fact that a marked de- 



ers, and no efficient system for the pro- crease in respect to depredations upon 



tection of our forest wealth from fire. public timber has followed as the direi 



To remedy these conditions he urged the result of providing legitimate methoc 



immediate withdrawal of all public for- of procuring needed timber supplies 



est lands from sale and entry; the survey The reforesting of denuded areas ha. 



of it by experts, to determine what por- been undertaken in various reserve. 1 

 tions should be permanently reserYd: UK wjth^epod^results, and the further ex- 



FIG. 2. REPRODUCTION OF OAK AND BIRCH FIRST YEAR. 



