FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 119 



States to consider the future of their tim- quests for assistance from private owners 



her supply and to take measures for its without most seriously endangering the 



perpetuation. Railroads are among the central object of its existence, which is 



greatest consumers of timber in the the perpetuation of the forests of this 



United States, and the preservation or country by wise use. 

 destruction of vast areas of forest will " The widening of the field for practi- 



depend on the attitude they assume to- cal usefulness of the Bureau in coopera- 



ward this question, which is not less tion with private owners was shown by 



vital to them than to other users of the growing number and the eagerness 



wood. of such demands. In meeting them it 



" The growing tendency of the Bureau is the public rather than any private 



of Forestry to devote its energies rather interest which is at stake. It is plain 



to government work than to the assist- that a great opportunity has presented 



ance of private owners was marked dur- itself at a critical time. If this Bureau 



ing the past year. In spite of the rap- can be equipped to meet the demand 



idly increasing demand for assistance before destruction has gone too far, the 



under the terms of Circular No. 21 on extensive protection of woodlands by the 



the part of private owners, a very large practice of forestry will certainly be at- 



proportion of the work of the Bureau tained. The only obstacle is present 



was given directly to government for- inability to handle the work. The Bu- 



est problems on public land. But the reau is face to face with a situation with 



greater part of the forests of the United which it is unable to cope. Not only 



States are and doubtless will remain in are the demands already made upon it 



private hands, and their preservation is far beyond its present capacity to meet, 



essential to the national safety and pros- but there is grave danger that vast areas 



perity. While, therefore, it is right that of the forests will have disappeared be- 



the Bureau of Forestry should meet first fore the Bureau of Forestry can be made 



of all the demands for strictly govern- ready to use the opportunity to save 



ment work, it can not neglect the re- them." 



REMODELING NEW YORK'S FOREST POLICY 



SITUATION AT ALBANY AND EXTRACTS FROM THE RE- 

 PORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE 

 ON THE FUTURE POLICY OF THE STATE IN RELATION 

 TO THE ADIRONDACKS AND FOREST PRESERVATION. 



THE present status of forest inter- satisfactory from the forester's point of 



ests in New 1 York State is a mat- view a very uncertain matter in New 



ter of speculation among those who de- York. 



sire to see the Adirondacks and the There is a clause in the state constitu- 

 Catskill Mountain forests made safe, tion \vhich forbids any cutting or re- 

 permanent, and profitable. moval of even dead wood from state 



The extensive damage done by fires in lands, consequently throttling all silvi- 



these forests last spring has brought the cultural work except planting, 



question of the welfare of the state for- There is the uncertain attitude of 



ests before the public with more promi- Governor Odell, who vetoed the bill for 



nence than ever before, and has resulted maintenance oi the State College of For- 



in the appointment of a special commit- estry and interrupted the demonstration 



tee of the senate to investigate forest work in the Adirondacks, but whose last 



matters and make recommendations for message seems to acknowledge very little 



changes in the present forest laws. reasonable ground for his action. 



Several circumstances combine to There are the powerful railroad corn- 

 render the enactment of a forest code panics, which naturally do not wish to 



